Giambattista Spinola

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Giovanni Battista Spínola

Giambattista Spinola (20 September 1615 – 4 January 1704) was a

Archbishop of Genoa.[1][2]

Giambattista was born in

Spinola family of that city, which had long been active in Genoese politics. He was the nephew of Cardinal Giandomenico Spinola. He was also the uncle of Giambattista Spínola Jr.[3]

During his career, he participated in three papal conclaves,[4] the last being in 1700, when he was 85 years old.[3]

Spinola studied law as a young man, receiving the degree of

Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars by Pope Clement X, as well as Governor of Rome and Vice Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, while retaining the Secretariat of the Sacred Congregation. He served as Governor of Rome from 26 October 1675 until 1 September 1681, when he was named a cardinal, but continued to hold the office with the title pro-Governor until he was succeeded by his nephew of the same name on 28 July 1691.[5] He was forced to resign as Archbishop of Genoa on 16 March 1681 for reasons of health.[4]

Shortly after his resignation, Spinola was named a

Cardinal Priest by Pope Innocent XI, with his titular church that of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere in Rome.[6] He served briefly in the position of Chamberlain of the College of Cardinals, a one-year term that ran from January 1691 to January 1692, to which he was reappointed but resigned in March 1692, for reasons of health.[4] In 1696 he opted[7] for the titular church of the Basilica of Sant'Agnese fuori le mura in Rome,[8] a title he held until he opted for that of the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere in 1698.[9]

Spinola died in his palace in Rome on 4 January 1704. His body was laid out in the Church of San Lorenzo in Lucina, with his burial taking place on 7 March 1704 at the Church of San Salvatore alle Coppelle, in front of the main altar.[4]

References

  1. [self-published]
  2. ^ European Heraldry website, House Spinola
  3. ^ a b California State University at Northridge website, Sede Vacante 1700
  4. ^
    OCLC 53276621
    .
  5. ^ Gaetano Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione historico-ecclesiastica Vol. XXXII (Venezia: tipografia Emiliana 1845), p. 45.
  6. [self-published]
  7. ^ The technical term "opting" refers to the practice taking place when a titular church falls vacant. In a papal consistory, a cardinal my claim ("opt for") the vacancy, provided that no one senior to him makes a claim. The transfer is then approved by the pope.
  8. [self-published]
  9. [self-published]
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Archbishop of Acerenza e Matera

1648–1664
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Archbishop of Genoa

1664–1681
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Philip Thomas Howard of Norfolk
Cardinal-Priest of Santa Cecilia

1681–1696
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Toussaint de Forbin de Janson
Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Agnese fuori le mura

1696–1698
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Gasparo Carpegna
Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere

1698–1704
Succeeded by