Giovanni Giacomo Panciroli (1587 – 3 September 1651) 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 ...

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

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 ...

and

Cardinal Secretary of State The Secretary of State of His Holiness (; ), also known as the Cardinal Secretary of State or the Vatican Secretary of State, presides over the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, the oldest and most important dicastery of the Roman Curia. Th ...

Life

Panciroli was born in 1587 in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

and was educated there, receiving a doctorate ''

utroque iure A doctor of both laws, from the Latin , , or ("doctor of both laws") (abbreviations include: JUD, IUD, DUJ, JUDr., DUI, DJU, Dr.iur.utr., Dr.jur.utr., DIU, UJD and UID), is a scholar who has acquired a doctorate in both civil and church law ...

'' in 1605. He became an

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. List of country legal systems, Different countries and legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a ba ...

to the

Roman Curia The Roman Curia () comprises the administrative institutions of the Holy See and the central body through which the affairs of the Catholic Church are conducted. The Roman Curia is the institution of which the Roman Pontiff ordinarily makes use ...

and then accompanied Giovanni Battista Pamphili (later

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 ...

) during his service as

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 Naples and Spain. When he returned to Rome, he entered the service of the

Barberini The House of Barberini is a family of the Italian nobility that rose to prominence in the 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 pal ...

(

Francesco Francesco, the Italian language, Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis (given name), Francis", is one of the List of most popular given names, most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name inclu ...

and

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, nephews of

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 ...

). He became chamberlain to the Pope and superintendent of the house of Cardinal Francesco Barberini. In 1632 he became auditor of the Sacred

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.Ippolito, Antonio Mennitti. "Pancirolo, Giovanni Giacomo". ''Dizionario Biografico'', vol. 80, 2014, Treccani
/ref> In 1641 he was appointed

Latin Patriarch of Constantinople The Latin Patriarchate of Constantinople was an office established as a result of the Fourth Crusade and its conquest of Constantinople in 1204. It was a Roman Catholic replacement for the Eastern Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantino ...

; a position he held until 1643. Paniciroli was consecrated bishop on January 12, 1642 in the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella in Rome and named nuncio extraordinary to Spain on January 18 1642. Panciroli was elevated to cardinal on 13 July 1643 by

and was installed as Cardinal Priest at the Basilica of

Santo Stefano Rotondo The Basilica of St. Stephen in the Round on the Caelian Hill (, ) is an ancient basilica and titular church in Rome, Italy. Commonly named Santo Stefano Rotondo, the church is Hungary's "national church" in Rome, dedicated to both Saint Stephen, ...

. The following year, Pope Urban died and Panciroli participated in the Papal conclave of 1644 which elected

Secretary of State

Upon Pope Innocent's election in September 1644, Panciroli was appointed

,Boutry, Philippe; Levillain, Philippe (2002). "Innocent X". The Papacy: an encyclopedia. Routledge. pp. 801–802. . which duties he shared with the Pope's

Cardinal-Nephew A cardinal-nephew (; ; ; ; )Signorotto and Visceglia, 2002, p. 114. Modern French scholarly literature uses the term "cardinal-neveu'". was a Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal elevated by a pope who was that cardinal's relative. The practice of c ...

Camillo Francesco Maria Pamphili Camillo Francesco Maria Pamphili, 1st Prince of San Martino al Cimino and Valmontone (21 February 1622 – 26 July 1666) was an Italian Catholic cardinal and nobleman of the Pamphili family. His name is often spelled with the final ''lon ...

until in January 1647 Pamphili resigned his cardinalate to marry

Olimpia Aldobrandini Olimpia Aldobrandini (20 April 1623 – 18 December 1681) was rich and powerfull Italian nobility, Italian noblewoman. By birth, she was member of an old and influential Aldobrandini family of Rome, and the sole heiress to the great family fort ...

. The resignation increased Panciroli's role, which enjoyed an authority in the Curia unusual for a minister not a blood relative of the Pope, even for a secretary of state, a position still far from taking on the importance that would later have. At the same time he had to contend with the significant influence Donna Olimpia held with her brother-in-law, the pope. This situation periodically impeded the efficient operation of the curia. When Innocent X asked the Secretary of State for a recommendation regarding a replacement for his woefully incompetent Cardinal-nephew, Francesco Maidalchini. Pancirolo suggested his secretary,

Camillo Astalli Camillo Astalli (21 October 1616 – 21 December 1663) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Cardinal-Nephew of Pope Innocent X who served as Cardinal Priest of San Pietro in Montorio (1653–1662), Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardina ...

, a distant relative by marriage to Olympia. Although continuing to enjoy the unconditional esteem of the pope, this raised the ire of the Pamphili family and their associates. Constant attacks combined with declining health contributed to a progressive loss of authority in the Curia. Panciroli died on 3 September 1651 at the

Quirinal Palace The Quirinal Palace ( ) is a historic building in Rome, Italy, the main official residence of the President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, together with Villa Rosebery in Naples and the Tenuta di Castelporziano, an estate on the outs ...

in Rome. Upon Panciroli's death, the position was filled by Fabio

Chigi Chigi may refer to: * Chigi (dog), a crossbreed between a Welsh Corgi and a chihuahua (dog) * House of Chigi, a Roman princely family * Chigi (architecture) , or are forked roof finials found in Japanese Architecture, Japanese and Shinto arch ...

who was later elected to the papal throne as

Pope Alexander VII Pope Alexander VII (; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death, in May 1667. He began his career as a vice- papal legate, and he held various d ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Panciroli, Giovanni Giacomo 1587 births 1651 deaths 17th-century Italian cardinals Cardinals created by Pope Urban VIII Cardinal Secretaries of State Latin Patriarchs of Constantinople Clergy from Rome