Francesco Acquaviva d'Aragona (14 October 1665 – 9 January 1725) was an Italian

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

, who served as ambassador of Spain to the Holy See.

Life

Francesco Acquaviva was born 14 October 1665 in Naples, the son of Giosia III Acquaviva d'Aragona, 14th Duke of Atri, and Francesca Caracciolo. Grand-nephew of Cardinal Ottavio Acquaviva d'Aragona (iuniore) (1654). Uncle of Cardinal

Troiano Acquaviva d’Aragona Troiano, Troyano or Troyanos may refer to: People Troiano * Troiano Gondola (''Trojan Gundulić'') (c. 1500 – c. 1555), a merchant and printer from the Republic of Ragusa * Troiano Acquaviva d’Aragona (1696–1747), Italian cardinal and Catho ...

(1732). Grand-uncle of Cardinal Pasquale Acquaviva d'Aragona (1770). Other cardinals of the family were Giovanni Vincenzo Acquaviva d'Aragona (1542); Giulio Acquaviva d'Aragona (1570); and Ottavio Acquaviva d'Aragona (seniore) (1591). He obtained a doctorate in utroque iure, both canon and civil law from the University of Fermo. He served as Vice-legate in Fermo, and was made a domestic prelate 25 November 1688. The following year, he was appointed Vice-legate in Ferrara. Francesco Acquaviva was consecrated titular archbishop of Larissa 22 December 1697. Francesco Acquaviva filled various offices under Popes Innocent XI, Alexander VIII, Innocent XII, and

Clement XI Pope Clement XI (; ; ; 23 July 1649 – 19 March 1721), born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 November 1700 to his death in March 1721. Clement XI was a patron of the arts an ...

, who created him Cardinal in the consistory of 17 May 1706. He was nuncio to Spain, from 6 April 1700 until 7 December 1706. In 1708, due to the Austrian conquest of the Kingdom of Naples, he lost a number of ecclesiastical benefices, but was compensated by Philip V with the appointment as diplomatic representative of the Catholic court to the Holy See, as well as cardinal protector of Spain. He was very loyal to Philip V, and sold his silverware to help the king bear the costs of the long war of succession and, in a critical moment, also saved the first wife of that sovereign, Luisa Maria Gabriella of Savoy. He participated in matters such as arranging the marriage of King Philip V and Princess Isabella Farnese of Parma, on 20 August 1714."Acquaviva d'Aragona, Francesco", ''Treccani''
/ref> He resided at the ''Palazzo di Spagna'' in Rome. In 1709, he was named Cardinal-protector of

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere Santa Cecilia in Trastevere is a 5th-century Churches of Rome, church in Rome, Italy, in the Trastevere rioni of Rome, rione. It is dedicated to the Roman martyr Saint Cecilia (early 3rd century AD) and serves as the conventual church for the adja ...

. He served as Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals from 26 January 1711 until 2 March 1712. Francesco Acquaviva participated in the conclave of 1721, which elected Pope Innocent XIII, and the conclave of 1724, which elected Pope Benedict XIII. He was buried at Rome in the Church of Santa Cecilia.

Episcopal Lineage

* Cardinal Scipione Rebiba * Cardinal Giulio Antonio Santorio (1566) * Cardinal Girolamo Bernerio, OP (1586) * Archbishop Galeazzo Sanvitale (1604) * Cardinal

Ludovico Ludovisi Ludovico Ludovisi (22 or 27 October 1595 – 18 November 1632) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal and statesman of the Roman Catholic Church. He was an art connoisseur who formed a famous collection of antiquities, housed at the ...

(1621) * Cardinal Luigi Caetani (1622) * Cardinal Ulderico Carpegna (1630) * Cardinal Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni (1666) * Cardinal Gaspare Carpegna (1670) * Cardinal Francesco Acquaviva (1697)

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Acquaviva, Francesco 1665 births 1723 deaths 18th-century Italian cardinals Cardinal-bishops of Sabina Francesco Acquaviva Apostolic nuncios to Spain Ambassadors of Spain to the Holy See Inquisitors of Malta