Cardinal Gaspare Mattei Gaspare Mattei (1598 - around 1am, 9 April 1650) was an Italian cardinal of the

house of Mattei 200px, Cortile Mattei di Giove The House of Mattei was one of the most powerful noble families of Rome during the Middle Ages and early modern era, holding high positions in the papal curia and government office. The family amassed significant a ...

Life

Mattei was born in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, the eldest son of Mario Mattei, duke of Paganica and Prudenzia Cenci; he was a relative of

Pope Paul V Pope Paul V ( la, Paulus V; it, Paolo V) (17 September 1550 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death in January 1621. In 1611, he honored ...

. He was educated at the Archgymnasium of Rome. He fell in love with a young lady and as the eldest son his parents hoped he would marry her, but instead he became a papal prelate under Paul V, then referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace. He then became governor of San Severino (December 29, 1621), commissary apostolic in Forlì (1629), vice-legate in Urbino (February 14, 1632), governor of Perugia (January 29, 1636) and finally commissary general of Romagna. Despite not having received holy orders he was elected titular archbishop of Atena on 5 September 1639 and then became nuncio to Austria (1639–43). He was elected cardinal priest in the consistory of July 13, 1643, with the titular church of S. Pancrazio. He was part of the Papal conclave of 1644, electing

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 Januar ...

, but left the September 10, 1644 conclave due to illness.According to Cardella, Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, VII, 28, he suffered a "grave malattia contratta per una passione di bile". He opted for the title of Santa Cecilia on September 28, 1648 and on his death in Rome, he was buried there.

Notes

Bibliography

*Squicciarini, Donato. Nunzi apostolici a Vienna. Città del Vaticano : Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1998, p. 124-125.
The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mattei, Gaspare 1598 births 1650 deaths Clergy from Rome 17th-century Italian cardinals Cardinals created by Pope Urban VIII G