Cesare Monti

This article is about the Catholic Cardinal. For the artist, see Cesare Monti (painter).

Cardinal Cesare Monti

Cesare Monti (1593-1650) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal who served as Patriarch of Antioch and Archbishop of Milan.

Early life

Monti was born in 1593 in Milan the partrician family of Princivalle Monti and Anna Landriani. He was a relative of Cardinal Federico Borromeo. It was under his tutelage that he was first educated until he went to Rome seeking an ecclesiastic career where he was ordained and obtained a doctorate in law.

Ecclesiastic career

Once in Rome, Monti became a referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signatura of Justice and of Grace and prelate of the Sacred Consulta. He also became a consultor to the Universal Inquisition under Francesco Barberini and later its assessor. He was appointed nuncio to Naples in 1627 and then nuncio extraordinaire to Spain in 1628. His aim was to negotiate peace in Italy with King Philip IV of Spain; Papal relations with whom had been strained by the War of the Mantuan Succession. Monti successfully achieved his mission^[1].

The tomb of Cardinal Cesare Monti in the Milan Cathedral.

In 1629 he was appointed Patriarch of Antioch; a position he held until 1633. Though he retained his titular patriarchy he was named Archbishop of Milan in 1632. He remained nuncio to Spain for much of this period.

In 1629, Pope Urban VIII elevated Monti to cardinal in pectore and his elevation was published in 1633^[2] at which time he resigned as Patriarch. He was appointed Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Traspontina in 1634^[3].

In 1644 he participated in the Papal conclave which elected Pope Innocent X.

Death and burial

Monti died on 16 August 1650. He was exposed in the metropolitan Cathedral of Milan and buried in front of the altar of Beatissima Vergine "dell'Albero", in that cathedral though he had expressed a desire to be buried at the Sanctuary of the Divine Maternity of Mary in Trezzo sull'Adda. However, cathedral administrators and the Milanese people did not follow his desire, "wanting to have in their cathedral the beloved archbishop".

See also

• Latin Patriarch of Antioch

References and notes

1. ^ S. Miranda: Cesare Monti
2. ^ The period he served as Patriarch of Antioch, though the reason his elevation could not be made public is not known.
3. ^ Catholic Hierarchy: Cesare Cardinal Monte