Alessandro Sperelli C.O. (1589–1671) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as

Bishop of Gubbio The Italian Catholic Diocese of Gubbio ( la, Dioecesis Eugubina) is in the province of Perugia, in Umbria, central Italy.

Apostolic Nuncio to Naples The Apostolic Nunciature to Naples was an ecclesiastical office of the Catholic Church in the Kingdom of Naples. It was a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio with the rank of an ambassador. Refere ...

(1652–1653), Auxiliary Bishop of Ostia e Velletri (1642–1644), and

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of ''Orthosias in Caria'' (1642–1644).

Biography

Alessandro Sperelli was born on May 5, 1589 in

Assisi Assisi (, also , ; from la, Asisium) is a town and ''comune'' of Italy in the Province of Perugia in the Umbria region, on the western flank of Monte Subasio. It is generally regarded as the birthplace of the Latin poet Propertius, born aroun ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

and ordained a priest in the

Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship. Congregation may also refer to: *Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administra ...

. His nephew Sperello Sperelli would become cardinal in 1699.Dizionario biografico universale
Volume 5, by Felice Scifoni, Publisher Davide Passagli, Florence (1849); page 156. On 28 Apr 1642, he was appointed during the papacy of

Pope Urban VIII Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...

of ''Orthosias in Caria'' and Auxiliary Bishop of Ostia e Velletri. On 4 May 1642, he was

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

bishop by

Giulio Cesare Sacchetti Giulio Cesare Sacchetti (1586 – 28 June 1663) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and was twice included in the French Court's list of acceptable candidates for the Papacy, in 1644 and 1655. Early life Sacchetti was born in 1586, the second sur ...

Cardinal-Priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

Santa Susanna The Church of Saint Susanna at the Baths of Diocletian ( it, Chiesa di Santa Susanna alle Terme di Diocleziano) is a Roman Catholic parish church located on the Quirinal Hill in Rome, Italy. There has been a titular church associated to its site ...

, with

Lelio Falconieri Lelio Falconieri (1585–1648) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal. Family and early life Falconieri was born in 1585 in Florence, the tenth of the thirteen children of Paolo Falconieri and his second wife Maddalena degli Albizzi. He was the brothe ...

Titular Archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of ''Thebae'', and

Giovanni Battista Altieri (seniore) Giambattista Altieri or Giovanni Battista Altieri (20 June 1589 – 26 November 1654) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal. Early life Giambattista Altieri was born 20 June 1589 in Rome, the son of Lorenzo Altieri and Victoria Delphini, a Ven ...

, Bishop Emeritus of Camerino, serving as

co-consecrators A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...

. On 14 Mar 1644, he was appointed during the papacy of Pope Urban VIII as

Bishop of Gubbio The Italian Catholic Diocese of Gubbio ( la, Dioecesis Eugubina) is in the province of Perugia, in Umbria, central Italy.

. On 23 Oct 1652, he was appointed during the papacy of

Pope Innocent X Pope Innocent X ( la, Innocentius X; it, Innocenzo X; 6 May 1574 – 7 January 1655), born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (or Pamphili), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 September 1644 to his death in January ...

; he served as nuncio until 15 Nov 1653. He served as Bishop of Gubbio until his death on 19 Dec 1671. While bishop, he was the

principal co-consecrator A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...

of Carlo Labia,

Archbishop of Corfù The Archdiocese of Corfu, Zakynthos, and Cefalonia ( la, Archdioecesis Corcyrensis, Zacynthiensis et Cephaloniensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church comprising the Ionian islands of Corfu, Zakynth ...

(1659). In 1666, his endowment of his large collection of books and manuscripts to the city led to the formation of the Biblioteca Comunale Sperelliana in Gubbio.

References

External links and additional sources

* * (for Chronology of Bishops) * (for Chronology of Bishops) * (for Chronology of Bishops) 17th-century Italian Roman Catholic bishops Bishops appointed by Pope Urban VIII Bishops appointed by Pope Innocent X 1589 births 1671 deaths Oratorian bishops People from Assisi Apostolic Nuncios to the Kingdom of Naples {{Italy-bio-stub