Luigi Capponi (Cardinal)

Luigi Capponi ( 1583 in Florence - 7. April 1659 in Rome ) was an Italian cardinal, Catholic archbishop and librarian.

biography

Luigi Capponi was born to Francesco di Piero Capponi and Lodovica di Ristoro Machiavelli. He began his ecclesiastical career, studying in Rome and Perugia, and graduating from La Sapienza University with a law degree. Pope Leo XI made him the descendant of one of the most famous Florentine families . (Alessandro de 'Medici) in 1605 as treasurer of the Apostolic Chamber , and despite the very short pontificate of the Medici, Pope Paul V confirmed his trust by accepting him into the small circle of his advisors and collaborators. On August 27, 1614, he was sent as a legate to Bologna , where he was responsible for evaluating and coordinating the initiatives required by the Pope to rehabilitate the Po Delta and regulate the water in the region.

For health reasons he left the city, but remained tied to Alessandro Ludovisi, Archbishop of Bologna, who in 1621 named Gregory XV. ascended to the papal throne: the new Pope appointed him Archbishop of Ravenna , an office he held for over 25 years. In Ravenna he took great care of the diocese, paid a pastoral visit to the parishes and convened a diocesan synod in 1627 and a provincial synod in 1632. He embellished the cathedral and the archbishop's palace.

1642 he chose as private theologians to Scotists Bartolomeo Mastri as Meldola.

In 1645 he gave up the diocese for his nephew Luca Torrigiani and settled in Rome . As early as 1623 he was a member of the Propaganda Congregation, which consisted of cardinals who coordinated missionary activity. After Cardinal Antonio Barberini the Younger fled Rome because of his hostility towards the new Pope Innocent X. Pamphili, Capponi succeeded him in the office of Pro-Prefect. During these years Propaganda Fide collided with the interests of the Jesuits and Capponi tried to reconcile the needs of both sides and recognized them a certain autonomy in the mission areas.

In August 1649 he was appointed librarian of the Vatican Apostolic Library , a position he held until his death. Here he had able employees and regulated the restoration of the manuscripts, the tasks of the custodians, the modalities of use, the policy of new acquisitions, etc.

He spent the last years of his life in Rome and in his villa in Frascati . He died in 1659 and was buried in San Lorenzo in Lucina , the last of his titular churches. In his will, he gave part of his property to Propaganda Fide to build and equip a printing press, while all of his manuscripts from his private collection were donated to the Vatican Library.

literature

• Luciano Osbat:  Capponi, Luigi. In: Alberto M. Ghisalberti (Ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 19:  Cappi-Cardona. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1976, pp. 67-69.

Web links

• Capponi, Luigi. In: Salvador Miranda : The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. ( Florida International University website), accessed November 9, 2019.
• Entry on Luigi Capponi on catholic-hierarchy.org
• Entry in the database of the REQUIEM project