Alessandro Bichi

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alessandro Bichi (born September 30, 1596 in Siena , † May 25, 1657 in Rome ) was an Italian cardinal and nuncio in France.

Life

Bichi was born in Siena in 1596, the son of Vincenzo Bichi and nephew of Cardinal Metello Bichi . At a young age he was appointed auditor of the Apostolic Chamber during the pontificate of Pope Urban VIII and then as trainee lawyer for the Apostolic Signature .

On May 5, 1628, Alessandro Bichi was elected bishop of Isola and was immediately sent to Naples as papal nuncio . In 1630 he was appointed nuncio in France and on September 9, 1630 he was appointed bishop of Carpentras .

In 1633 he was promoted to cardinal and appointed cardinal priest of Santa Sabina . In 1644 Pope Urban VIII died and the College of Cardinals met in the conclave to elect a new Pope. As Nuncio in France, Bichi sided with the cardinals of the French delegation headed by Antonio Barberini .

Bichi took part in the conclave of 1655 , in which Pope Alexander VII was elected. Bichi, who had already fallen out with Innocent's powerful sister-in-law Olimpia Maidalchini , is said to have exclaimed: "We will elect a female Pope".

He died in Rome on May 25, 1657 and was buried in his titular church, Santa Sabina .

Act

Palace in Carpentras, built by Alessandro Bichi

In 1640, Alessandro Bichi had the Avignon architect François Royers de la Valfenière build the new bishop's palace in Carpentras, which in 1801 became the city's courthouse.

literature

  • Henry Biaudet: Les nonciatures apostoliques permanentes jusqu'en 1648 . Helsinki 1910, p. 254 ( archive.org ).
  • Henry Coville: Étude sur Mazarin et ses démêles avec le pape Innocent X . Paris 1914 ( archive.org ).
  • Patritius Gauchat: HIERARCHIA CATHOLICA MEDII ET RECENTIORIS AEVI . tape IV , p. 209-210 ( stanford.edu [PDF]).
  • Gaspare De Caro:  Bichi, Alessandro. In: Alberto M. Ghisalberti (Ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 10:  Biagio-Boccaccio. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1968.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Bichi, Alessandro
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian cardinal and bishop
DATE OF BIRTH September 30, 1596
PLACE OF BIRTH Siena
DATE OF DEATH May 25, 1657
Place of death Rome