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Cesare Monti (5 May 1593 – 16 August 1650) was an
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
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
Latin Patriarch of Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; , ) "Antioch on Daphne"; or "Antioch the Great"; ; ; ; ; ; ; . was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC. One of the most important Greek cities of the Hellenistic period, it served as ...
and
Archbishop of Milan The Archdiocese of Milan (; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy which covers the areas of Milan, Monza, Lecco and Varese. It has long maintained its own Latin liturgical rite usage, the Amb ...
.


Early life

Cesare Monti was born on 5 May 1593 in
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
to the patrician family of Princivalle Monti and Anna Landriani. Because his father was a childhood friend of the Archbishop of Milan Cardinal
Federico Borromeo Federico Borromeo (; 18 August 1564 – 21 September 1631) was an Italian cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan, Archbishop of Milan, and prominent figure of the Counter-Reformation in Italy. His acts of charity, ...
, Cesare was allowed to enter into the prestigious Collegio Borromeo of Pavia. Cesare earned a doctorate Law at the
University of Pavia The University of Pavia (, UNIPV or ''Università di Pavia''; ) is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. There was evidence of teaching as early as 1361, making it one of the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest un ...
in 1617 and he took up a career as lawyer in Milan. In 1618, under the tutelage of Cardinal Federico Borromeo, he moved to Rome where he became protonotary apostolic and in 1620 he was appointed
referendary Referendary is the English form of a number of administrative positions, of various rank, in chanceries and other official organizations in Europe. Pre-modern history The office of ' (plural: ', from the Latin ', "I inform") existed at the Byza ...
of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature, thus starting the ecclesiastic career in the administration of the
Papal States The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...
. He also became
prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Minister (Christianity), Christian clergy who is an Ordinary (church officer), ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which me ...
of the Sacred Consulta, a consultor to the Universal Inquisition under Francesco Barberini and later his assessor. Cesare Monti in Rome met and was estimated by
Maffeo Barberini Pope Urban 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 pope, he expanded the papal terri ...
, who, when he became pope with the name of Urban VIII, assigned to him sensitive tasks, up to the appointment as
Apostolic Nuncio An apostolic nuncio (; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is ...
to the
Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples (; ; ), officially the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was established by the War of the Sicilian Vespers (1282–1302). Until ...
on 27 April 1627. In June 1628 Cesare Monti was assigned to an even more delicate task: he was sent as extraordinary Nuncio to the
Kingdom of Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
in order to help the ordinary Nuncio, Giovanni Pamphili, in dealing with king Philip V. Monti was not able to prevent the
War of the Mantuan Succession The War of the Mantuan Succession, from 1628 to 1631, was caused by the death in December 1627 of Vincenzo II, last male heir from the House of Gonzaga, long-time rulers of Mantua and Montferrat. Their strategic importance led to a proxy war b ...
, but he didn't lose the esteem of the pope: when on 19 November 1629 Giovanni Pamphili was proclaimed Cardinal, Monti was on the same day appointed
Latin Patriarch of Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; , ) "Antioch on Daphne"; or "Antioch the Great"; ; ; ; ; ; ; . was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC. One of the most important Greek cities of the Hellenistic period, it served as ...
and Cardinal in pectore. Cesare Monti, who at the time had received only the
clerical tonsure Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice in ...
, received the
orders Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * H ...
and was consecrated
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
on 28 January 1630 by Giovanni Pamphili in the chapel of the
Royal Palace of Madrid The Royal Palace of Madrid () is the official residence of the Spanish royal family at the city of Madrid, although now used only for state ceremonies. The palace has of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms. It is the largest royal palace in Eu ...
at the presence of the king. Monti became the ordinary Nuncio in Madrid on 27 April 1630 after that Giovanni Pamphili returned to Rome. However the relations with Spanish court, and in particular with the Count-Duke of Olivares, became more and more strained, both because the pro-French politic of Urban VIII and the stout defence by Monti of the ecclesiastic prerogatives.


Archbishop of Milan

150 px, The tomb of Cardinal Cesare Monti in the
left Left may refer to: Music * ''Left'' (Hope of the States album), 2006 * ''Left'' (Monkey House album), 2016 * ''Left'' (Helmet album), 2023 * "Left", a song by Nickelback from the album ''Curb'', 1996 Direction * Left (direction), the relativ ...
The
episcopal see An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...
of Milan became empty at the death of Cardinal
Federico Borromeo Federico Borromeo (; 18 August 1564 – 21 September 1631) was an Italian cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan, Archbishop of Milan, and prominent figure of the Counter-Reformation in Italy. His acts of charity, ...
in September 1631. Pope
Urban VIII Pope Urban 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 pope, he expanded the papal terri ...
at first appointed as new Archbishop of Milan the Cardinal Girolamo Colonna di Sciarra, but the Spanish government, under which was the
Duchy of Milan The Duchy of Milan (; ) was a state in Northern Italy, created in 1395 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then the lord of Milan, and a member of the important Visconti of Milan, Visconti family, which had been ruling the city since 1277. At that time, ...
, refused the mandatory assent with the justification that Colonna was not a native of Milan. Thus on 20 December 1632 the pope appointed Cesare Monti, born in Milan, as Archbishop of Milan: the Spanish government at first opposed, but later gave its assent on 30 May 1633. On 28 November 1633 Cesare Monti was proclaimed
Cardinal Priest A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. Ca ...
and on the same date he resigned as Latin Patriarch of Antioch. Monti returned in Rome on 24 June 1634 and he took the title of
Santa Maria in Traspontina The Church of Santa Maria del Carmelo in Traspontina (Saint Mary of Carmel Across the Bridge) is a Roman Catholic titular church in Rome, run by the Carmelites. The bridge referred to is the Ponte Sant'Angelo. The church is on the Via della Con ...
on 6 August 1634. Due to a clash between the Spanish government and the Vicar of the Milan's Chapter about the
benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...
s arose during the vacancy of the Archbishop, Monti had to wait up to 29 April 1635 to formally enter in Milan. When Monti entered in Milan, the town was still seriously enfeebled by the Great Plague of Milan which was ended in 1631 and killed almost the half of the population. He issued regulation concerning the discipline of the clergy and he convened all the vicars of the diocese on Milan in 1635. He celebrated three diocesan
synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...
s in 1637, 1640, 1650, and he published a new edition of the Ambrosian
Missal A missal is a liturgical book containing instructions and texts necessary for the celebration of Mass throughout the liturgical year. Versions differ across liturgical tradition, period, and purpose, with some missals intended to enable a priest ...
in 1640. In 1644 he participated to the
Papal conclave A conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to appoint the pope of the Catholic Church. Catholics consider the pope to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and the earthly head of the Catholic Church. Concerns around ...
which elected Giovanni Pamphili, with the name of
Pope Innocent X Pope Innocent 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 1655. Born in Rome of a family fro ...
. With his broadminded approach, Monti supported the unconventional lay
confraternity A confraternity (; ) is generally a Christian voluntary association of laypeople created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety, and approved by the Church hierarchy. They are most common among Catholics, Lu ...
founded by Giacomo Filippo di Santa Pelagia in Milan, which promoted the conversions of prostitutes and which was condemned by the Church after Monti's death. Monti was also a great patron of culture and arts, as well as a collector of paintings, and a part of his gallery, originally of 221 pieces, is now at the Diocesan Museum of Milan. Monti died on 16 August 1650 in Milan. He was exposed in the metropolitan
Cathedral of Milan Milan Cathedral ( ; ), or Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary (), is the cathedral church of Milan, Lombardy, Italy. Dedicated to the Nativity of St. Mary (), it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Archbi ...
and buried in the North
transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...
, though he had expressed a desire to be buried at the ''Sanctuary of the Divine Maternity of Mary'' in Trezzo sull'Adda. However, cathedral administrators and the Milanese people did not follow his desire, ''"wanting to have in their cathedral the beloved archbishop"''.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monti, Cesare 1593 births 1650 deaths 17th-century Italian Roman Catholic archbishops 17th-century Italian cardinals Cardinals created by Pope Urban VIII Clergy from Milan Burials at Milan Cathedral Archbishops of Milan Apostolic nuncios to Spain Latin Patriarchs of Antioch