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.

Pope Benedict XIII (Pietro Francesco Orsini, OP) died on February 21, 1730, 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 (on Coscia's fate, Montor, 12-13.

The Conclave of 1730 was long, contentious, and sometimes disgraceful. At the opening, on March 5, there were twenty-six cardinals in attendance; by the time of the election, there were fifty-six. In early voting, the fortunes of Cardinals Ruffo, Zondadari, and Banchieri rose and fell.

When Cardinal Imperiali came within one vote of success, the Veto (exclusiva) was interposed by Cardinal Bentivoglio in the name of the King of Spain. On June 11 Cardinal Davia obtained twenty-nine votes, but he could not reach the thirty-six votes needed to elect.

On the 16th, Cardinal Corradini reached thirty votes. 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 was crowned in the Vatican Basilica on July 16, 1730, and on November 19, he took possession of the Lateran Basilica.