SEDE VACANTE 1730

February 21, 1730—July 12, 1730

Annibale Cardinal Albani

ANNIBALE CARDINAL ALBANI (1682-1751), was born at Urbino on August 15, 1682. His uncle became Pope Clement XI in 1700 (dying on March 19, 1721). He was created Cardinal Deacon on December 23, 1711, being appointed to the Deaconry of S. Eustachio on March 2, 1712. He became Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica in 1712, where he had long been a Canon, and was promoted to be Cardinal Priest of S. Clemente in March, 1722, for which he was finally ordained a priest in October. He was appointed Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church on March 29, 1719, a post he held until 1747. He became bishop of Sabina on July 24, 1730, and was translated to Porto and Sta. Rufina in 1743. From 1719 he was director of the English hospital of St. John in Jerusalem.

The Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals was Cardinal Francesco Barberini, Bishop of Ostia and Velletri.

Archbishop Giovanni Battista Gamburucci was the Papal Master of Ceremonies.

Msgr. Domenico Rivera of Urbino was the Secretary of the Sacred College of Cardinals.

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Death of Pope Benedict XIII

Pope Benedict XIII (Vincenzo Orsini, OP) died on February 21, 1730. The throne of Peter was vacant for eight months and twenty-one days. Benedict was hated by nearly everyone in Rome both because of his maladministration and because of his giving a free hand to Niccolò Cardinal Coscia, his evil genius. Coscia, in fear of his life, fled immediately to Cisterna (the seat of the Duke of Sermoneta). The Duke wrote to Cardinal Barberini about his situation, and, under a safe conduct from the Sacred College, he returned quietly to Rome and took part in the Conclave (on Coscia's fate, Montor, 12-13; Cartwright, 136-137).

The Cardinals

A list of the Cardinals is given by Mario Guarnacci, Vitae et Res Gestae Pontificum et S.R.E. Cardinalium II (Roma 1751), at columns 596-600.

The official list of all Conclavists and their Cardinals is attached to Clement XII's motu proprio granting the usual privileges and absolutions to the Conclavists (Bullarium Romanum 23 [Augustae Taurinorum 1872], 28-31 (July 14, 1730).

Cardinals attending:

1. Francesco Barberini, iuniore, Bishop of Ostia and Velletri.
2. Francesco Pignatelli, Theat., Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina. Archbishop of Naples.
3. Giacomo Boncompagni, Bishop of Albano.
4. Pietro Ottoboni, Bishop of Sabina. S.R.E. Vice-Cancellarius
5. Lorenzo Corsini, Bishop of Frascati.
6. Tommaso Ruffo, Bishop of Palestrina.
   
   
7. Benedetto Pamphilj, Cardinal Priest of S. Maria in Via Lata [created September 1681. Died during the Conclave on March 22, 1730]
8. Giuseppe Renato Imperiali [Genoa], Cardinal Priest of S. Lorenzo in Lucina.
9. Annibale Albani [of Urbino]. Cardinal Priest of S. Clemente. S. R. E. Camerarius
10. Ludovico Pico della Mirandola. Cardinal Priest of S. Prassede.
11. Gianantonio Davia (De Via) [Bologna]. Cardinal Priest of S. Pietro in vincoli.
12. Antonio Felice Zondadari [Siena]. Cardinal Priest of S. Balbina
13. Pier Marcellino Corradini. Cardinal Priest of S. Maria in Trastevere
14. Armand Gaston Maximilien de Rohan de Soubise [France], Cardinal Priest of SS. Trinitate in Monte Pincio. Bishop of Strasbourg
15. Curzio Origo [Romanus]. Cardinal Priest of S. Eustachio
16. Melchior de Polignac [France]. Cardinal Priest of S. Maria degli Angeli
17. Benedetto Odescalchi Erba [Milan], Cardinal Priest of the Basilica XII Apostolorum. Archbishop of Milan.
18. Damianus Hugo de Schönborn Buchaim [Germanus], Cardinal Priest of S. Maria della Pace. Bishop of Speyer.
19. Henri Thiard de Bissy [France], Cardinal Priest of SS. Quirici et Julitta. Bishop of Meaux (Meldensis).
20. Innico Caracciolo, Bishop of Aversa. Cardinal Priest of S. Thomas in Parione
21. Nicolò Gaetano Spinola {Genoa]. Cardinal Priest of SS. Nereus and Achilles
22. Giberto Bartolomeo Borromeo {Milan]. Cardinal Priest of S. Alessio. Bishop of Novara
23. Giulio Alberoni [Piacenza]. Cardinal Priest of S. Crisogono
24. Giorgio Spinola [Genoa]. Cardinal Priest of S. Agnete. Legate in Bologna
25. Cornelio Bentivoglio de Aragonia [Ferrara]. Cardinal Priest of S. Caecilia
26. Luis Antonio Belluga y Moncada [Spain]. Cardinal Priest of S. Prisca.
27. Mihály Frigyes Althan [German], Bishop of Vác. Cardinal Priest of S. Sabina.
28. Alvaro Cienfuegos Villazón, SJ, Cardinal Priest of S. Bartolommeo in Insula. Archbishop of Monreale.
29. Bernardo Maria de' Conti, OSB.Cassin., Cardinal Priest of S. Bernardo [created June 16, 1721. Died during the Conclave on April 23, 1730]
30. Giovanni Battista de' Altieri [Roman]. Cardinal Priest of S. Matteo in Merulana
31. Vincenzo Petra [Naples], Cardinal Priest of S. Onofrio. Prefect of the S.C. of Propaganda Fide.
32. Prospero Marefoschi [Macerata], Cardinal Priest of S. Silvestro in Capite. Vicar General of Rome.
33. Niccolò Coscia [of Benevento], Cardinal Priest of S. Maria in Domnica. Archbishop of Benevento.
34. Angelo Maria Quirini, OSB.Cas. [Venice], Cardinal Priest of S. Marco. Archbishop-Bishop of Brescia.
35. Niccolò Maria Lercari [Genoa], Cardinal Priest of SS. Giovanni e Paolo. Secretary of State.
36. Prospero Lambertini [Bologna], Cardinal Priest of S. Croce in Jerusalem. Archbishop-Bishop of Ancona.
37. Francesco Antonio Finy [Minerviensis]. Cardinal Priest of S. Sisto.
38. Sigismund von Kollonitsch [German], Archbishop of Vienna.
39. Philip Ludwig von Sinzendorf [German], Bishop of Györ.
40. Vincenzo Ludvico Gotti, OP. [Bologna]. Cardinal Priest of S. Pancrazio.
41. Leandro Porzia, OSB.Cas.[Foroiuliensis], Cardinal Priest of S. Callisto. Bishop of Bergamo.
42. Pierluigi Carafa [Naples]. Cardinal Priest of S. Lorenzo in Panisperna
43. Giuseppe Accoramboni [Spoleto], Cardinal Priest of S. Maria Transpontina. Archbishop-Bishop of Imola.
44. Camillo Cibo [Carrara]. Cardinal Priest of S. Stefano in Monte Celio
45. Francesco Scipione Borghese [Roman]. Cardinal Pirest of S. Pietro in Montorio
46. Vincenzo Maria Ferreri, OP [Niciensis], Cardinal Priest of S. Maria in Via. Bishop of Vercelli.
47. Alamanno Salviati [Florentinus]. Cardinal Priest of S. Maria in Aracoeli.
    
    
48. Lorenzo de' Altieri [Romanus]. Cardinal Deacon of S. Agata in Suburra.
49. Carlo Colonna [Romanus]. Cardinal Deacon of S. Angelo in Pescheria
50. Fabio Olivieri [Pesaro], Cardinal Deacon of SS. Vito e Modesto. Secretary of Briefs.
51. Carlo Marini [Genoa], Cardinal Deacon of S. Maria in Aquiro. Legate in Romagna.
52. Alessandro Albani [Urbino]. Cardinal Deacon of S. Maria in Cosmedin.
53. Alessandro Falconieri [Romanus]. Cardinal Deacon of S. Maria de Scala.
54. Niccolò del Giudice [Naples]. Cardinal Deacon of S. Maria ad Martyres
55. Antonio Banchieri [Pistoria]. Cardinal Deacon of S. Nicolaus in Carcere Tulliano
56. Carlo Collicola [Spoleto]. Cardinal Deacon of S. Maria in Porticu.

Cardinals not attending:

1. Agostino Cusani [Milan], Bishop of Pavia. Cardinal Priest of S. Maria del Popolo [created May 18, 1712]
2. Nuno da Cunha e Ataïde [Portugal]. Cardinal Priest of S. Anastasia [Created May 18, 1712]
3. Wolfgang Hannibal von Schrattembach [Germany], Cardinal Priest of S. Marcellus. Bishop of Olomouc.[created May 18, 1712]
4. Imre Csáky [Hungary], Cardinal Priest of S. Eusebio. Archbishop of Kalocsa and Bács.[created July 12, 1717]
5. Carlos de Borja-Centelles y Ponce de León [Spain], Cardinal Priest of S. Pudenziana. Patriarch of the West Indies [created November 29, 1719]
6. Léon Potier de Gesvres. [created November 29, 1719]
7. Thomas Philip Wallrad d'Hénin-Liétard d'Alsace-Boussu de Chimay [Belgium], Cardinal Priest of S. Cesareo. Archbishop of Mechlin. [created November 29, 1719]
8. José Pereira de la Cerda [Portugal], Cardinal Priest of S. Susanna. Bishop of Faro [Faraoniensis]. created November 29, 1719]
9. André Hercule de Fleury [France], Counselor of State of France. [created September 11, 1727]
10. Diego de Astorga y Céspedes [Spain], Archbishop of Toledo.[created November 26, 1727]
11. João da Motta e Silva [Portugal]. [created November 26, 1727]

Factions

The Conclave of 1730 was long, contentious, and sometimes disgraceful. It lasted four and a half months. At the opening, on March 5, there were twenty-six cardinals in attendance; by the time of the election, there were fifty-six. The conclave was especially difficult because the many factions were small and not firmly fixed in their preferences. The Camerlengo, Cardinal Annibale Albani led the creature of Pope Innocent XI. His younger brother, Alessandro Albani, led a small party of "Savoyards" or "Sardinians". There was also an Imperial party (several of whose members, Schrattembach, Csaky, and d'Hénin-Liétard d'Alsace-Boussu de Chimay, did not attend), and a French party, allied with the Spanish. The Zelanti were ever present, but vacillated constantly in their voting patterns. In early voting, the fortunes of Cardinals Tommaso Ruffo (Cardinal Bishop of Palestrina), Antonio Felice Zondadari, and Antonio Banchieri (former Governor of Rome, and ex-Vice-Chancellor) rose and fell.

On April 24, a courier arrived from Madrid, carrying the exclusiva to be used against Cardinal Giuseppe Renato Imperiali (Wahrmund, 226; portrait at left). When Cardinal Imperiali came within one vote of success, the Veto (exclusiva) was interposed by Cardinal Cornelio Bentivoglio in the name of the King of Spain. On June 11 Cardinal Gianantonio Davia of Bologna, Cardinal Priest of S. Pietro in Vincoli, obtained twenty-nine votes, but he could not reach the thirty-six votes needed to elect (Montor, 11).

On the 16th of June, Cardinal Pietro Marcellino Corradini, the pro-Datary of Benedict XIII, reached thirty votes (Montor, 11). Bentivoglio, who had already cast the Spanish Veto, announced that he and his Spanish-leaning colleagues would leave Rome if Corradini were to be elected. Cardinal Cienfuegos, who had instructions from the Emperor to exclude Corradini, set to work to overcome the distaste among the Imperialist faction against Cardinal Corsini as an alternative to Corradini.

 

Lorenzo Cardinal Corsini, aged seventy-nine, was finally chosen with fifty-two votes on July 12, taking the name Clement XII. He named Cardinal Banchieri as his Secretary of State on July 12. He was crowned in the Vatican Basilica on July 16, 1730, and on November 19, he took possession of the Lateran Basilica.