Birth. May 31, 1664, Fiorenzuola d'Arda, diocese of Piacenza. Of a poor and humble family, his father was a gardener, and he worked as such until he was fifteen.

Education. Studied with the Jesuits of Piacenza (1).

Early life. Canon of the cathedral chapter of Parma, 1698. Sent by the duke of Parma on a diplomatic mission to Louis-Joseph, duke Vendôme, commander of French forces in Italy during the War of the Spanish Succession, 1702. The duke of Vandôme named him his secretary and took him to France, 1706; and later to Spain, 1711. Ambassador of Parma in Spain, 1712; negotiated the marriage of King Philip V of Spain and Elisabetta Farnese niece of the duke of Parma. Prime minister of Spain, 1717. Had a decisive role in the national and international recovery of Spain after the War of Spanish Succession. Prime minister in 1714, when Elisabetta Farnese arrived in Spain and the Princess of the Ursinos was exiled.

Sacred orders. (No information found).

Cardinalate. Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of July 12, 1717; received the red hat and the deaconry of S. Adriano, June 12, 1724.

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Málaga, Spain, December 6, 1717. Dismissed from his post of prime minister by King Philip V, December 5, 1719, he fled to Italy. Blamed for the invasion of Sardinia and of Sicily by Spain, although the pope had been assured to the contrary, had to face the indignation of Pope Clement XI. In Genoa he was placed under arrest to await the decision of a special commission of cardinals. He escaped and remained in hiding until the death of the pope in 1721. Participated in the conclave of 1721. In the consistory of December 20, 1723, the pope issued an absolutory brief in favor of the cardinal, imposing silence on the cause against him brought up by Spain. Participated in the conclave of 1724. Consecrated, November 18, 1725, Rome, by Pope Benedict XIII. Resigned government of the diocese, November 19, 1725. For a while he lived in retirement in a Jesuit residence. Opted for the order of priests and the title of S. Crisogono, September 20, 1728. Participated in the conclave of 1730. Legate in Romagna, January 17, 1735 until September 1739; successfully reunited the Republic of San Marino with the Papal States; later, Pope Clement XII returned the republic its independence. Participated in the conclave of 1740. Opted for the title of S. Lorenzo in Lucina, August 29, 1740. Cardinal protoprete. Legate in Bologna, August 29, 1740 until September 1743. A brilliant diplomat and statesman, his performance as a politician receives mixed reviews.

Death. June 26, 1752, Piacenza. Buried in the church of Collegio S. Lazzaro, Piacenza.

Bibliography. Harcourt-Smith, Simon. Cardinal of Spain : the life and strange career of Alberoni. New York : A.A. Knopf, 1944.

Birth. October 28 (1), 1672, Castle of Zips (Spis) Szepesváre (or Szepesvárban), fief of his family, diocese of Eger, Hungary.

Education. Capitular school, 1688, Cassovia (Kosice); Collegium Pazmaneum, 1690-1693, Vienna (doctorate in philosophy, 1693); Collegio Germanico-Hungarico, 1693-1695, Rome (doctorate in theology, September 5, 1695). Received the diaconate, December 18, 1694.

Priesthood. Ordained (no information found). Canon of the cathedral chapter of Eger, 1693. Pastor in Cassova, May 9, 1696. Canon of the cathedral chapter of Esztergom, 1702. Abbot of Szent Gothárdi, 1703.

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Nagyvárad (2), June 25, 1703. Consecrated (no information found). Provost of the collegiate of Pozsony (or Pressburg, or Bratislava), 1710. Promoted to the metropolitan see of Kalocsa-Bács, retaining the administration of Nagyvárad and that of Pozsony for a quinquennium, November 19, 1714. Administrator of Eger.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal and reserved in pectore in the consistory of July 12, 1717; published in the consistory of October 1, 1717. Participated in the conclave of 1721. Received the red hat and the title of S. Eusebio, June 16, 1721. Did not participate in the conclaves of 1724 and 1730.