Ferdinando Nuzzi (1645 – 1717) was a Catholic

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

who served as officer of the Papal States and as Bishop of Orvieto from 1716 to his death.

Life

Ferdinando Nuzzi was born in Orte on 10 September 1645 to a family of Todi. At the age of ten he moved to Rome where he studied by the Jesuits in the Roman College. He graduated in utroque iure at Sapienza University of Rome. Based in Rome, he took up a career in the administration of the Papal States, without standing out at the beginning also because his family was not noble. From 1688 for ten years he worked at the

Apostolic Camera The Apostolic Camera ( la, Camera Apostolica), formerly known as the was an office in the Roman Curia. It was the central board of finance in the papal administrative system and at one time was of great importance in the government of the Stat ...

(the central board of finance in the Papal States). After, he worked two years in the Holy Office and then he returned to the Apostolic Camera with the title of ''Cleric''. From 1702 to 1706 he was made responsible of the ''Annona'' with the responsibility for the grain supply to the city of Rome: he distinguished himself for having built new granaries, having appointed architect Carlo Fontana of refurbishing and using as warehouses the Roman Baths of Diocletian. In 1702 he published a booklet titled ''Discorso intorno alla coltivazione e popolazione della Campagna di Roma'' (discourse about the cultivations and the population in the Agro Romano), in which he cautiously supported the theory of

Mercantilism Mercantilism is an economic policy that is designed to maximize the exports and minimize the imports for an economy. It promotes imperialism, colonialism, tariffs and subsidies on traded goods to achieve that goal. The policy aims to reduce a ...

, suggesting the abolition of

privileges Privilege may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Privilege'' (film), a 1967 film directed by Peter Watkins * ''Privilege'' (Ivor Cutler album), 1983 * ''Privilege'' (Television Personalities album), 1990 * ''Privilege (Abridged)'', an alb ...

, the use of crop rotation and even the splitting up of estates. In May 1706 he was finally appointed Secretary of the Congregation of Bishops. Leading the Congregation in charge of the appointments of new bishops, he was also appointed titular Archbishop of ''Nicaea'' on 7 June 1706. He was consecrated bishop the following 13 June by the Secretary of State Cardinal Paolucci in the Roman church of San Carlo ai Catinari. He maintained that office until 1716. At the age of 71, on 16 December 1715, he was appointed Cardinal Priest of Santa Pudenziana, and shortly later, on 30 March 1716, he was appointed Bishop of Orvieto, allowing him to move to the province near where his family originated. He suddenly died in Orvieto on 1 December 1717 and was buried in that Cathedral.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nuzzi, Ferdinando 1645 births 1717 deaths 18th-century Italian cardinals People from the Province of Viterbo Bishops of Orvieto Sapienza University of Rome alumni Mercantilists