(11) 1. ACQUAVIVA D'ARAGONA, Troiano (1695-1747)

Birth. January 15, 1695 (1), Naples. His first name is also listed as Traiano and his last names as Aquaviva and d'Aragonia. Neapolitan patrician. Of the dukes of Atri. Son of Gian Girolamo Acquaviva d'Aragona, 13th duke of Atri, and his second wife, Eleonora Spinelli. Nephew of Cardinal Francesco Acquaviva d'Aragona (1706). Uncle of Cardinal Pasquale Acquaviva d'Aragona (1770). Other cardinals of the family are Giovanni Vincenzo Acquaviva d'Aragona (1542); Giulio Acquaviva d'Aragona (1570); Ottavio Acquaviva d'Aragona, seniore (1591); and Ottavio Acquaviva d'Aragona, iuniore (1654).

Education. (No information found).

Early life. Referendary of the Supreme Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace, January 1, 1721. Vice-legate in Bologna, March 27, 1721. Governor of Ancona, July 9, 1721. Cleric of the Apostolic Chamber. Protonotary apostolic.

Priesthood. Ordained April 17, 1729.

Episcopate. Elected titular bishop of Filippopoli di Arabia, April 18, 1729. Consecrated, May 3, 1729, Benevento, by Pope Clement XI. Prefect of the Papal Household, May 14, 1729. Assistant at the Pontifical Throne, June 25, 1729. Prefect of the Apostolic Palace, July 6, 1729. Promoted to the titular see of Larissa, August 14, 1730.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of October 1, 1732; received the red hat and the title of Ss. Quirico e Giulita, November 17, 1732. Opted for the title of S. Cecilia, January 19, 1733. Ambassador of Spain before the Holy See from 1734. Protector of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily from 1738. Archdeacon of Toledo. Transferred to the metropolitan see of Monreale, May 4, 1739. Participated in the conclave of 1740, which elected Pope Benedict XIV; he presented the veto of King Felipe V of Spain against the election to the papacy of Cardinal Pier Marcellino Corradini. Protector of Spain from April 1743. Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, February 3, 1744 until January 25, 1745.

Death. March 20, 1747, near 7 p.m., Rome, after a long and painful illness. Transferred to the church of S. Cecilia, Rome, March 21, 1747; the capella papalis took place on March 22, 1740 with the participation of Pope Benedict XIV; and the late cardinal was buried in that same church.

Bibliography. Benedictus XIV. Lettere de Benedetto XIV al canonico Pier Francesco Peggi a Bologna (1729-1758) : publicate insieme col diario del conclave del 1740. Per cura di Francesco Saviero Kraus. Freiburg i. B : J.C.B. Mohr, 1884. Language: Latin; Text in Italian and Latin; introd. and notes in German. Other title: Briefe Benedicts XIV an den Canonicus Pier Francesco Peggi in Bologna (1729-1758); Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1794, VIII, 257-259; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1952, V, 314; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1968, VI, 6, 42 48, 56, 254 and 297; Rivera, Giuseppe. Memorie biografiche dei cardinali Abruzzesi. Aquila : Tipografia G. Mele, 1924, pp. 130-132Weber, Christoph. Legati e governatori dello Stato Pontificio : 1550-1809. Roma : Ministero per i beni culturali e ambientali, Ufficio centrale per i beni archivistici, 1994. (Pubblicazioni degli archivi di Stato. Sussidi; 7), 118, 158 and 441.

Links. The Acquaviva cardinals, in English; his engraving by Girolamo de' Rossi, Museo di Roma, Rome; and his tomb in the church of S. Cecilia, Rome.

(1) Other sources say that he was born on January 24, 1696.

(12) 2. MOSCA, Agapito (1678-1760)

Cardinalate. Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of October 1, 1732; received the red hat and the deaconry of S. Giorgio in Velabro, November 17, 1732. Legate in Ferrara, July 30, 1734; legation prorogated for a triennium, July 6, 1737. Legate a latere before Queen Maria Amalia of Naples, May 21, 1738. Participated in the conclave of 1740, which elected Pope Benedict XIV. Opted for the deaconry of S. Agata in Suburra, March 11, 1743. Participated in the conclave of 1758, which elected Pope Clement XIII.

Death. August 21, 1760, Rome. Exposed in the basilica of Ss. XII Apostoli, Rome, where the funeral took place, and buried in the Capuchin church of Santissima Concezione, Rome.

©1998-2010 Salvador Miranda.