(1) 1. ALTIERI, iuniore, Giovanni Battista (1673-1734)

Birth. August 3, 1673, Rome. Brother of Cardinal Lorenzo Altieri (1690). Nephew of Cardinal Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni (1664). Uncle of Cardinal Vincenzo Maria Altieri (1777).

Education. La Sapienza University, Rome (doctorate in utroque iure, both canon and civil law, March 22, 1703).

Early life.Vice-legate in Urbino. Referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace. Cleric of the Apostolic Chamber, May 31, 1700, for almost twenty years; later, dean. President of Roads. Received the minor orders, June 6, 1724.

Episcopate. Elected titular archbishop of Tiro, with dispensation for not having received the major orders, June 12, 1724. Received the subdiaconate, June 24, 1724; diaconate, June 30, 1724.

Priesthood. Ordained, July 12, 1724. Consecrated, July 16, 1724, Rome, by Pope Benedict XIII.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of September 11, 1724. Granted dispensation for having a brother in the Sacred College of Cardinals, September 11, 1724. Received the red hat and the title of S. Matteo in Via Merulana, November 20, 1724. Participated in the conclave of 1730. Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, March 3, 1732 until January 19, 1733. Opted for the order of bishops and the suburbicarian see of Palestrina, January 26, 1739.

Death. March 12, 1740, Rome, during the conclave. Exposed and buried in the church of S. Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, in the chapel of his family.

Link. His arms and tomb, Altieri chapel, church of S. Maria sopra Minerva, Rome.

(2) 2. FALCONIERI, Alessandro (1657-1734)

Birth. February 7 (al. 8), 1657, Rome. Son of Marquis Paolo Francesco Falconieri and Vittoria del Bufalo. Grand nephew of Cardinal Lelio Falconieri (1643). Relative of Cardinal Chiarissimo Falconieri-Mellini (1838).

Education. (No information found).

Early life. Referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace, November 11, 1691. Relator of the S.C. of Good Government, 1691. Vicar of the patriarchal Liberina basilica. Relator of the S.C. of the Sacred Consulta. President of the Apostolic Chamber, November 22, 1697. President of the Apostolic Chamber; November 22, 1697; later, cleric, December 11, 1701. Commissioned to rid the province of Lazio of assassini e banditi, 1702; accomplished his mission very rapidly. Auditor of the Sacred Roman Rota March 28, 1707. Governor of Rome and vice-camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, retaining his auditorship, June 23, 1717 until September 11, 1724.

Sacred orders. (No information found).

Cardinalate. Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of September 11, 1724; received the red hat and the deaconry of S. Maria della Scala, November 20, 1724. Participated in the conclave of 1730.

Death. January 26, 1734, near 6 p.m., Rome. Exposed in the church of S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini, Rome, where the funeral took place, and buried in that same church, to the right of the main altar, in an urn of black marble with a simple epitaph that he had composed, under the mausoleum of Cardinal Lelio Falconieri.

Bibliography. Del Re, Niccolò. Monsignor governatore di Roma. Rome : Istituto di Studi Romani Editore, 1972, pp. 112-113; Weber, Christoph. Legati e governatori dello Stato Pontificio (1550-1809). Rome : Ministero per i beni culturali e ambientali. Ufficio centrale per i beni archivistici, 1994. (Pubblicazioni degli archivi di Stato; Sussidi, 7), pp. 361, 655-656.

Link. His tomb, church of S. Giovanni dei Fiorentini, Rome; his engraving by Martin Bernigeroth.

©1998-2008 Salvador Miranda.