- Gian Francesco Albani
Gian Francesco Albani (
26 February 1720 –15 September 1803 ) was aRoman Catholic Cardinal. He was a member of the Albani family.Albani was born in
Rome , the son ofCarlo Albani , Duke of Soriano; his grand-uncle wasPope Clement XI (Gianfrancesco Albani). Furthermore, two of his unclesAnnibale Albani andAlessandro Albani were cardinals, and was himself uncle of cardinalGiuseppe Albani (with whom he was, for two years, concurrently cardinal).In October 1740 he was made
Protonotary apostolic , quickly followed by being made the vicar of the patriarchalBasilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in March 1742. Later in the same year, in November, he was made president of thePapal chamber ; and also cleric of theApostolic Chamber less than a year later (September 1743). He further became relator of the S. C. of Indulgences and Sacred Relics in 1743.On
10 April 1747 he was elevated to cardinal deacon in theconsistory and was ceremonially elevated and given thedeaconry of San Cesareo on15 May . He went on to receive thesubdiaconate (November 1747) and thediaconate (31 March 1748 ). He acted as Protector of the Kingdom of Poland inRoman Curia . In 1758 he participated in the Papal conclave.He went on to the presbyteral order on
12 February 1759 over S. Clemente; and the episcopal order on21 July 1760 over thesuburbicarian see of Sabina. He further opted for thesee of Porto e Santa Rufina on17 March 1773 andOstia e Velletri on18 December 1775 . He becameDean of the Sacred College of Cardinals in March 1774. He further paricipated in thePapal conclave s of 1769, 1774–1775, and 1799–1800. He was also madearchpriest of the patriarchal Liberian basilica and Prefect of the S. C. ceremonial.His political orientation appeared to be pro-Austrian, anti-French and, with the French invasion of the
Papal States in 1798 he absconded to Naples, before moving toVenice where the Papal conclave of 1800 took place. He died in Rome on the15 September 1803 —his funeral was held in the church ofSanta Maria in Vallicella , Rome and was buried in the patriarchal Liberian basilica.References
*cite web|url=http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios1747.htm#Albani|title=Consistory of
April 10 ,1747 |work=The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church|accessdaymonth=18 April |accessyear=2005
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