Portret van Antonio Eugenio Visconti, RP-P-1909-6058

Antonio Eugenio Visconti (17 June 1713 – 4 March 1788) was an Italian cardinal and archbishop of the Catholic Church.

Biography

Antonio Eugenio Visconti was born in Milan on 17 June 1713, the son of

Annibale Visconti Annibale is the Italian masculine given name and surname equivalent to Hannibal. In English, it may refer to : Given name * Annibale Albani (1682–1751), Italian cardinal * Annibale I Bentivoglio, (died 1445), ruler of Bologna from 1443 * Annibal ...

, a fieldmarshall of the Holy Roman Empire, and the noblewoman Claudia Erba-Odescalchi, a relative of

Pope Innocent XI Pope Innocent XI ( la, Innocentius XI; it, Innocenzo XI; 16 May 1611 – 12 August 1689), born Benedetto Odescalchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 September 1676 to his death on August 12, 1689. Poli ...

. His godfather was the famous leader

Eugenio di Savoia ''Eugenio di Savoia'' was a light cruiser, which served in the ''Regia Marina'' during World War II. She survived the war but was given as a war reparation to the Hellenic Navy in 1950. She was renamed ''Elli'' and served until 1965. Design '' ...

. He completed his studies at the University of Pavia where he obtained his doctorate in ''utroque iure'' on 19 December 1737. After graduating, he practiced law at the Milan forum and was rapporteur of the Sacred Council of the Sacred Consulta from 1748, becoming secretary of the Sacred Congregation for Indulgences and Relics. Administrator of the Hospital of San Gallo in Rome, he became a priest of the Archconfraternity of the Pilgrims and of the Carmine, and held a position as well with the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. He took the sacred orders on 22 December 1759 and on 28 January 1760 he was chosen titular archbishop of Ephesus, being consecrated a bishop on 28 June by

Pope Clement XIII Pope Clement XIII ( la, Clemens XIII; it, Clemente XIII; 7 March 1693 – 2 February 1769), born Carlo della Torre di Rezzonico, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 July 1758 to his death in February 1769. ...

. Appointed assistant to the papal throne on 20 February 1760, he became Apostolic Nuncio to Poland on 22 February of that year. He was transferred to the nunciature in Austria as of 22 November 1766. He was made a cardinal ''

in pectore ''In pectore'' (Latin for "in the breast/heart") is a term used in the Catholic Church for an action, decision, or document which is meant to be kept secret. It is most often used when there is a papal appointment to the College of Cardinals wit ...

'' in the

papal consistory In the Roman Catholic Church a consistory is a formal meeting of the College of Cardinals called by the pope. There are two kinds of consistories, extraordinary and ordinary. An "extraordinary" consistory is held to allow the pope to consult with ...

of 17 June 1771, and it was made public on 19 April 1773. He participated in the conclave of 1774–1775 that elected

Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI ( it, Pio VI; born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to his death in August 1799. Pius VI condemned the French Revoluti ...

. As cardinal his titular church was Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. He became Prefect of the Congregation for Indulgences and Holy Relics in 1782. He died in Rome on 4 March 1788 and he was entombed in his titular church.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Visconti, Antonio Eugenio 1713 births 1788 deaths 18th-century Italian Roman Catholic archbishops 18th-century Italian cardinals