SEDE VACANTE MDCCCXXIX Arms of Pietro Francesco Card. Galeffi, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, surmounted by the Ombrellone, crossed keys, and the Cardinal's Hat with fifteen tassels on each side. Above, the Holy Spirit and rays of light. Berman, p. 207 #3263.

	AG scudo AVXI:IVM • DE • SANCTO The Church on clouds, Cross in left hand, domed church at her right, in front of which is a tiara [triregnum].
	SEDE • VACAN TE • MDCCCXXIX Arms of Pietro Francesco Card. Galeffi, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, surmounted by the Ombrellone, crossed keys, and the Cardinal's Hat with fifteen tassels on each side. The Holy Spirit above. Berman, p. 208 #3263.

Born in 1770 at Cesena, a relative of Pope Pius VI, Pietro Francesco Galeffi was created cardinal on July 11, 1803. He was deported to France in 1809 along with Pope Pius VII; in 1810 he was exiled to Sedan, and only able to return to Italy after Napoleon's exile. He became Archpriest of S. Pietro in Vaticano and Prefect of the Congregation of the Fabric of St. Peter's in 1820, as well as Bishop of Albano. In 1830 he exchanged Albano for Porto-Santa Rufina-Civitavecchia. On December 20, 1824, he became Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, a post which he held until his death on June 18, 1837.


   


   Msgr. Mario Mattei (1792-1870) was Reverendae Camerae Apostolicae Thesaurius Generalis (Papal Treasurer) at the time of the conclaves of 1829 and 1830-31. He became a cardinal deacon on July 2, 1832 In 1843 he was named Archpriest and president of the Sacred Congregation of the Reverenda Fabbrica di S. Pietro. He became Cardinal Bishop of Frascati in 1844, was translated to Porto and Sta. Rufina in 1854, and became Bishop of Ostia in 1860. He was Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals from 1860 until his death on October 7, 1870.

    Prince Agostino Chigi (d. 1855) was the Marshal of the Holy Roman Church during both interregna, as he had been in 1823. The Prince's diary for the years 1830-1855, Il tempo di Papa-Re, survives, providing some interesting background information on the agonized death of Pope Pius VIII, the Interregnum, and the Conclave of 1831. There were conspiracies and revolts against the papal government in a number of Italian cities, including Rome.

	AE 37 mm SEDE | VACANTE | MDCCCXXIX.   Crossed keys, surmounted by Ombrellone.
	BENEDIC CAPELLETTI PRAEF• VR• ET VICE-CAMERARIVS Arms of Msgr. Benedetto Capellari, Governor of Rome and Vice-Chancellor Mazio, —. Spink, —.

    The Governor of Rome (and therefore chief of police) during the two conclaves of 1829-1831 was Msgr. Benedetto Cappelletti (1764-1834). A Benedictine of Monte Cassino, he was essentially a civil and legal administrator, having begun his career in the Apostolic Signatura. He served as papal governor in Viterbo, Macerata (1822), Urbino (1823), and Pesaro. He became governor of the city of Rome in 1829, and held that post until he was named a Cardinal by Gregory XVI on July 2, 1832 as Cardinal Priest of San Clemente.. He was named Bishop of Rieti in 1833, and died there the next year.

	AE Arms of the Commune di Roma. surmounted by a crown, with flags and weapons behind. Inscription S.P.Q.R. on bend across the shield.
	MDCCCXXIX • SEDE VACANTE O(doardus) DE' CINQUE P(aulus) CARANDINI        } COSS P(aulus) MARTINEZ P(hilippus) PATRIZI.C(ivitatis) R(omae) P(atricius) The three governing Conservatori, Patricians of Rome Mazio, 909. Spink, #2141.

                           cf. R. De Cesare, Il conclavo di Leone XIII , p 277. The Fasti Consulares Capitolini are printed by
                            Vincenzo Forcella, Inscrizioni delle Chiese e d' altri edificii di Roma Volume I (Roma 1869) 20.

    Pope Leo XII died on February 10, 1829. That evening, Cardinal della Somaglia, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, summoned a meeting of the cardinals who were heads of each order: Joseph Cardinal Fesch (Cardinal priest), Cardinal Cacciapiatti (Cardinal Deacon), Pietro Cardinal Galeffi (the Camerlengo), and the Secretary of the College of Cardinals The funeral and novendiale were arranged.

On the morning of February 23, Cardinal Somaglia celebrated the Mass of the Holy Spirit in St. Peter's; that afternoon, thirty-two cardinals assembled at S. Silvestro, sang the Veni Creator, and marched in procession to the Quirinale Palace, where they were joined by five others. On February 27, three more cardinals entered conclave: Tommaso Arezzo (bishop of Sabina), Giuseppe Morozzo (bishop of Novara), and Vicenzo Macchi (the Apostolic Legate in Ravenna); that evening Cardinal Ruffo of Naples arrived; he entered the Conclave on March 2. On the 3rd Carlo Cardinal Gaysruck arrived from Milan. Giuseppe Cardinal Albani arrived on the same day, with Austrian instructions, and subsequently Cardinals Giuseppe Firrao, de Latil (Rheims), de la Fare, and d'Isoard (Auch)

In the first ballot, Cardinal Castiglione received 11 votes, Cardinal Pacca 10, Cardinal de Gregorio 9, and Cardinal Cappellari 7. At the scrutiny on the morning of March 31, Castiglione had 28 votes, de Gregorio 15, Cappellari 4. and Somaglia, Giustiniani and Fransoni one each; the second part of the voting, called the accessio, brought Castiglione 8 more votes, de Gregorio and Somaglia five each, and Giustiniani one. Though Castiglione had barely a two-thirds, another vote was ordered, and he thereupon received 47 votes. Francesco Cardinal Castiglione was elected, with the support of Cardinal Albani and the Austrian interest. He took the name Pius VIII, and named Cardinal Albani as his Secretary of State.

Prince Clemens von Metternich supplied his information about the election to his friend Count Tatischeff on April 6, 1829:

"He was elected at first by a majority of thirty-six; a slight error having appeared in the ballot, Cardinal Castiglione insisted on a fresh one. In this he obtained forty-seven votes—that is to say, almost unanimity. We had placed him at the head of those who would be desirable as Pontiffs. The French Cardinals joined our Cardinals. M. de Chateaubriand, on the contrary, patronised Gregorio.

The new Pope has given Gregorio the post of Grand Pénetencier, which he had just left; and nominated Albani State Secretary. Chateaubriand, in consequence, will have absolution. "

The Sede Vacante lasted 49 days; the Conclave, which began on February 23, took 36 days. Fifty-one cardinals participated, seven were absent.

An extensive, but discreet account of the Conclave of 1829 is given by Chevalier Alexis François Artaud de Montor, who was a well-informed eyewitness, in his Histoire du Pape Pie VIII (Paris 1844), pages 34-61. See also: G. Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica Vol 53 (Venezia 1846) p. 175-176 Memoirs of Prince Metternich (1815-1829) (ed. Prince Richard Metternich) (tr. Mrs. Alexander Napier) Volume IV (New York 1881) p. 617. See also: Lucius Lector [Joseph Guthlin], Le Conclave (Paris 1894), 491-494 (Cardinal Albani had authorization to use a veto against Cardinal di Gregorio, but he did not need to use it)..