(6) 1. BICHI, Vincenzo (1668-1750)

Birth. February 2, 1668, Siena. Of a noble family. Son of Metello Bichi, marquis of Rocca Albenga, and Vittoria Piccolomini d'Aragona. Nephew of Cardinal Carlo Bichi (1690). Other cardinals of the family were Metello Bichi (1611); Alessandro Bichi (1633); Antonio Bichi (1657).

Education. Seminario Romano, Rome; Seminario Clementino, Rome; La Sapienza University, Rome (doctorate in utroque iure, both canon and civil law, July 30, 1689).

Early life. Referendary (no additional information found). Cleric of the Apostolic Chamber, 1695.

Priesthood. Ordained, April 26, 1699.

Episcopate. Elected titular archbishop of Laopdicea, December 11, 1702. Consecrated, (no information found). Assistant at the Pontifical Throne, December 25, 1702. Nuncio in Switzerland, January 5, 1703. Nuncio in Portugal, September 14, 1709 until 1720 (1).

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of September 24, 1731; received the red hat and the title of S. Pietro in Montorio, March 31, 1732. Opted for the title of S. Lorenzo in Panisperna, December 16, 1737. Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, January 26, 1739. Participated in the conclave of 1740. Opted for the title of S. Matteo in Merulana, August 29, 1740. Opted for the title of S. Silvestro in Capite, May 20, 1743. Opted for the order of bishops and the suburbicarian see of Sabina, September 23, 1743. Opted for the suburbicarian see of Frascati, April 10, 1747.

Death. February 11, 1750, in his palace in Via Lata, Rome. Exposed in the church of S. Marcello, Rome, where the capella papalis with the participation of Benedict XIV took place on February 13, 1750, and in the afternoon transferred to the church of S. Vincenzo and buried in his family's tomb in that church.

Bibliography. Finch, Urban. Die Luzerner Nuntiatur 1586-1873 : Zur Behördengeschichte und Quellenkunde der päpstlichen Diplomatie in der Schweiz. Luzern ; Stuttgart : Rex Verlag, 1997. (Collectanea Archivi Vaticani ; Bd. 40) (Luzerner Historische Veröffentlichungen ; Bd. 32); Weber, Christoph and Becker, Michael. Genealogien zur Papstgeschichte. Stuttgart : Anton Hiersemann, 1999-2002. 6 v. (Päpste und Papsttum, Bd. 29, 1-6), I, 105.

Links. Biography, in Italian.

(1) According the site of the diocese of Frascati, probably due to malice and envy, Nuncio Vincenzo Bichi was suspected of bad conduct by King João V of Portugal and was recalled to Rome, where he satisfactorily explained his acts and contradicted the accusations of the ministers. He not only returned to Portugal, but regained the good will of the king. The appreciation of the king was felt when in 1722 Pope Innocent XIII named Archbishop Giuseppe Firrao as the new nuncio in Portugal. King João refused to accept the new nuncio until the new Pope Benedict XIII created Archbishop Bichi a cardinal. The pope had the suspicion that this demand from the king was due to the insistence of the former nuncio and did not want to submit to this form of blackmail and broke off the friendly relations that existed between the two courts. King João answered by removing Nuncio Firrao from Portugal, recalling all the Portuguese from the Papal States, ordering that all dignities and benefices coming from the Holy See be repudiated, forbidding the sending or depositing of money to Rome, and finally expelling from Portugal all subjects of the pope, with the exception of Archbishop Bichi. In the meantime, the former nuncio had been threatened with censure by the pope if he did not leave Lisbon but in spite of this, he stayed there until his promotion to the cardinalate. This situation lasted until 1731, when Pope Clement XII elevated both prelates to the cardinalate. Evidently in all this matter Nuncio Firrao had not been totally a stranger and had influenced Pope Benedict XIII. The king then revoked all the provisions of 1728 disadvantageous to the Holy See.

(7) 2. DORIA, Sinibaldo (1664-1733)

Birth. Genoa and was baptized on September 21, 1664. Other cardinals of the family were Girolamo Doria (1529); Giovanni Doria (1604); Giorgio Doria (1743); Giuseppe Maria Doria Pamphilj (1785); Antonio Maria Doria Pamphilj (1785); and Giorgio Doria Pamphilj (1816).

Education. University of Siena, Siena (doctorate in utroque iure, both canon and civil law, August 17, 1688).

Early life. Referendary of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature. Governor of Tiburtino, Fano, Montalto, Ascoli, and Macerata. Vice-legate in Ferrara. Cleric of the Apostolic Chamber. Vice-legate in Avignon, 1706-1711. Preceptor of the archhospital of S. Spritio in Sassia, Rome, at the end of 1711 or beginning of 1712. Received the minor orders, October 25, 1711; subdiaconate, October 28, 1711; diaconate, November 1, 1711.

Priesthood. Ordained, November 4, 1711.

Episcopate. Elected titular archbishop of Patra, December 18, 1711. Consecrated (no information found). Assistant at the Pontifical Throne, December 25, 1711. Prefect of the Cubiculi of His Holiness, May 14, 1721. Reappointed to that post by Pope Clement XII, October 3, 1730. Transferred to the metropolitan see of Benevento, May 21, 1731.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of September 24, 1731; received the red hat and the title of S. Girolamo degli Schiavoni, December 17, 1731.

Death. December 2, 1733, Benevento. Exposed and buried in the metropolitan cathedral of Benevento.

Link. His portrait, Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Rome.

(8) 3. FIRRAO, Giuseppe (1670-1744)

Birth. July 12, 1670 (or 1669), Luzzi, diocese of Bisignano. Of the Neapolitan patrician family. Son of Pietro Firrao, prince of Sant'Agata, and Isabella Caracciolo. Grand-uncle of Cardinal Giuseppe Firrao (1801).

Education. La Sapienza University, Rome (doctorate in utroque iure, both canon and civil law, January 22, 1695).

Early life. Referendary of the Supreme Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace. Governor of Loreto and apostolic visitor of the province of Marche. Governor of Ancona, May 31, 1701. Governor of the territory of Civitavecchia and Tolfa, and superintendent of Corneto, December 17, 1702. Governor of Viterbo, April 22, 1705. Governor of Perugia and Umbria, July 12, 1706.

Sacred orders. Received the minor orders, April 6, 1711; diaconate, August 25, 1714.

Priesthhod. Ordained, September 2, 1714.

Episcopate. Elected titular archbishop of Nicea, September 2, 1714. Consecrated (no information found). Nuncio in Switzerland, October 23, 1716. Nuncio in Portugal, September 28, 1720 (1). Transferred to the see of Aversa, with personal title of archbishop, December 11, 1730.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of September 24, 1731; received the red hat and the title of S. Tommaso in Parione, November 19, 1731. Secretary of State, October 1733 until February 6, 1740. Resigned the government of the diocese, September 26, 1734. Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature of Grace, November 29, 1737. Prefect of the S.C. of Bishops and Regulars, August 27, 1738. Participated in the conclave of 1740. Opted for the title of S. Croce in Gerusalemme, August 29, 1740. Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, January 2, 1741.

Death. October 24, 1744, at 6 p.m., Rome. Exposed in the church of S. Agostino, Rome, where the capella papalis took place with the participation of Pope Benedict XIV on October 26, 1744; transferred to his title in the afternoon and buried in that church.

Bibliography. Finch, Urban. Die Luzerner Nuntiatur 1586-1873 : Zur Behördengeschichte und Quellenkunde der päpstlichen Diplomatie in der Schweiz. Luzern ; Stuttgart : Rex Verlag, 1997. (Collectanea Archivi Vaticani ; Bd. 40) (Luzerner Historische Veröffentlichungen ; Bd. 32); Weber, Christoph and Becker, Michael. Genealogien zur Papstgeschichte. Stuttgart : Anton Hiersemann, 1999-2002. 6 v. (Päpste und Papsttum, Bd. 29, 1-6), I, 423.

Links. His engraving and biography, in Italian; his engraving by Pietro Nelli and Rocco Pozzi and His tomb in S. Croce in Gerusalemme, Rome.

(1) See note 1 in Cardinal Vincenzo Bichi's biographical entry.

(9) 4. GENTILI, Antonio Saverio (1681-1753)

Birth. February 9, 1681, Rome.

Education. La Sapienza University, Rome (doctorate in utroque iure, both canon and civil law, April 2, 1699).

Early life. Referendary of the Supreme Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace and abbreviatore del Parco maggiore. Lieutenant of the auditor of the Apostolic Chamber, 1715.

Priesthood. Ordained, January 1, 1727.

Episcopate. Elected titular archbishop of Petra, March 17, 1727. Consecrated, March 23, 1727, Rome, by Pope Benedict XIII. Assistant at the Pontifical Throne, March 23, 1727. Secretary of the S.C. of the Tridentine Council, 1728. Secretary of the S.C. of Bishops and Regulars, five months later in 1728. Made praepositus in the chapel of the Most Holy Manger of the patriarchal Liberian basilica, Rome, July 28, 1730. Datary of His Holiness, May 17, 1731 to 1740.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of September 24, 1731; received the red hat and the title of S. Stefano al Monte Celio, November 19, 1731. Prefect of the S.C. of the Tridentine Council, March 20, 1737 until his death (1). Participated in the conclave of 1740. Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, January 22, 1742. Opted for the order of Bishops and the suburbicarian see of Palestrina, April 10, 1747.

Death. March 13, 1753, near 5 a.m., Rome. Transferred to the Jesuit church of S. Ignazio, Rome, March 16, 1733, the capella papalis took place the following day with the participation of Pope Benedict XIV, and buried in the church of S. Venanzio dei Camerinesi, Rome, according to his will.

Bibliography. Re, Nicola del. "I cardinali prefetti della sacra congregazione del concilio dalle origini ad oggi (1564-1964)." Apollinaris, XXXVII (1964), p. 126-127.

(1) Starting with him, successive prefects also assumed the prefecture of the subsidiary congregation super statu ecclessiarum commonly called del Concilietto, instituted by Pope Benedict XIV in 1740 and which lasted until the reform of the Roman Curia effected by Pope St. Pius X in 1908. Then, its attributions, in relation to the examination of the report of the bishops on the state of their respective dioceses, were transferred to the S.C. Consistorial (currently Congregation for Bishops).

(10) 5. GUADAGNI, O.C.D., Giovanni Antonio (1674-1759)

Birth. September 14, 1674, Florence. Of a noble family. Nephew of Pope Clement XII.

Education. University of Pisa, Pisa (doctorate in utroque iure, both canon and civil law, May 3, 1696).

Priesthood. Ordained, March 11, 1702. Canon of the cathedral chapter of Florence. Entered the order of Carmelites Discalced and took the name Giovanni Antonio di San Bernardo. In his order, master of novices; prior, and provincial of Etruria.

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Arezzo, December 20, 1724. Consecrated, December 31, 1724, Rome, by Cardinal Lorenzo Corsini. Assistant at the Pontifical Throne, February 27, 1725. By special grace, granted the pallium, proper of the metropolitan archbishops only, November 22, 1730.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of September 24, 1731; received the red hat and the title of S. Martino ai Monti, December 17, 1731. Accepted the promotion for holy obedience. Vicar general of Rome, March 1, 1732. Resigned the government of the diocese of Arezzo, November 4, 1732. Abbot commendatario of Grottaferrata, 1738. Participated in the conclave of 1740. Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, January 28, 1743. Opted for the order of bishops and the suburbicarian see of Frascati, February 23, 1750. Opted for the suburbicarian see of Porto e Santa Rufina, January 12, 1756. Sub-dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals. Participated in the conclave of 1758.

Death. January 15, 1759, Rome, in odore di santità. Buried in the church of S. Maria della Scala in the monument he had built for himself.

Beatification. The process to initiate the cause of his beatification was open in 1763.

Links. Biography, in Italian; his engraving by Pietro Nelli and Rocco Pozzi. His tomb in the church of S. Maria della Scala, Rome.

©1998-2008 Salvador Miranda.