Carlo Barberini (1 June 1630 – 2 October 1704) was an Italian

Catholic cardinal 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 ...

and member of the

Barberini family The House of Barberini are a family of the Italian nobility that rose to prominence in 17th century Rome. Their influence peaked with the election of Cardinal Maffeo Barberini to the papal throne in 1623, as Pope Urban VIII. Their urban palace ...

. He was the grand-nephew of Maffeo Barberini (

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 ...

) and son of

Taddeo Barberini Taddeo Barberini (1603–1647) was an Italian nobleman of the House of Barberini who became Prince of Palestrina and Gonfalonier of the Church; commander of the Papal Army. He was a nephew of Pope Urban VIII and brother of Cardinals Frances ...

( Prince of Palestrina).

Early life and family history

Carlo Barberini was born 1 June 1630 in Rome. He was the son of

, Prince of Palestrina and

Anna Colonna Anna Colonna (1601–1658) was an Italian noblewoman of the Colonna and Barberini families. She was also the Princess of Paliano. Early life Colonna was born in 1601; the daughter of Filippo Colonna, Prince of Paliano, and Lucrezia Tomacell ...

, daughter of

Filippo I Colonna Filippo Colonna (1578 – 11 April 1639), Prince of Paliano, was an Italian nobleman, who was the head of the Colonna family of Rome and the hereditary Gran Connestabile at the court of Naples. Biography He was born in Rome. A nephew of Carl ...

. He was the younger brother of

Lucrezia Barberini Lucrezia Barberini (24 October 1628 – 24 August 1699) was an Italian nobility, Italian noblewoman and, by marriage, Duchess of Modena. Born into the Barberini family, she was the last wife of Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena. Biography ...

and the older brother of

Maffeo Barberini 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 ...

. He was the nephew of Taddeo's cardinal brothers, Francesco Barberini (Senior) and

Antonio Barberini Antonio Barberini (5 August 1607 – 3 August 1671) was an Italian people, Italian Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims, Archbishop of Reims, military leader, patron of the arts an ...

and was himself the uncle of Francesco Barberini (Junior), the son of his brother Maffeo. Barberini and his younger brother Maffeo played a role in reconciling the Barberini family with the papacy (at that stage

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 ...

) after the

Wars of Castro The Wars of Castro were a series of conflicts during the mid-17th century revolving around the ancient city of Castro (located in present-day Lazio, Italy), which eventually resulted in the city's destruction on 2 September 1649. The conflict w ...

. Maffeo married a niece of Pope Innocent X and Carlo was elevated to cardinal by Pope Innocent X in 1653. It had originally been proposed that Carlo marry the Pope's niece but he instead suggested it was an ecclesiastic career that he sought.''Pope Alexander the Seventh and the College of Cardinals'' by

John Bargrave John Bargrave (1610 – 11 May 1680), was an English author and collector and a canon of Canterbury Cathedral.''Under the Sign: John Bargrave as Collector, Traveler, and Witness'' by Stephen Bann, Michigan, 1995 Early life Bargrave was born in Ke ...

, edited by

James Craigie Robertson James Craigie Robertson (1813 – 9 July 1882) was a Scottish Anglican churchman, canon of Canterbury Cathedral, and author of a ''History of the Christian Church''. Life Robertson was born at Aberdeen, where his father was a merchant; his mother ...

(reprint; 2009)

Ecclesiastic career

Barberini participated in 7 papal conclaves. Barberini was the

cardinal deacon 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 ...

of the titulus of

San Cesareo in Palatio San Cesareo in Palatio or San Caesareo de Appia is a titular church in Rome, near the beginning of the Appian Way. It is dedicated to Saint Caesarius of Terracina, a 2nd-century deacon and martyr. History Origins In the 4th century, Emperor Va ...

(18 August 1653),GCatholic.org:
Cardinal Deaconary San Cesareo in Palatio then of S. Angelo in Pescheria (14 November 1667) and finally of S. Maria in Cosmedin (2 December 1675). He was later promoted to rank of cardinal-priest of the ''titulus'' of S. Maria della Pace (27 September 1683). After becoming

protopriest The Protopriest of the College of Cardinals ( it, protopresbitero, and, rare, it, protoprete) in the College of Cardinals, is the first Cardinal-Priest in the order of precedence, hence directly after the Cardinal-bishops. This title is always ...

of the Sacred College, he was transferred to the title of S. Lorenzo in Lucina, proper of senior cardinal-priest (30 April 1685). In 1667 he was named archpriest of the

Vatican Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...

. Carlo Barberini acted in the papal curia as cardinal-protector of the Duchy of Savoy (from 1671), of the Catholic cantons of Switzerland (from 1680) and of the Kingdom of Poland (from 1681). He died on 2 October 1704 and he has been buried in the basilica

Santa Maria in Aracoeli The Basilica of St. Mary of the Altar of Heaven ( la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae de Ara coeli in Capitolio, it, Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara coeli al Campidoglio) is a titular basilica in Rome, located on the highest summit of the Campidoglio. I ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barberini, Carlo 1630 births 1704 deaths Clergy from Rome Carlo 17th-century Italian cardinals 18th-century Italian cardinals