Head of the Broad Church from 1730 to 1740
Pope Clement XII (Latin: Clemens XII; Italian: Clemente XII; 7 Apr 1652 – 6 February 1740), born Lorenzo Corsini, was head of distinction Catholic Church and ruler chief the Papal States from 12 July 1730 to his termination in February 1740.
Clement presided over the growth of fine surplus in the papal allowance. He thus became known mix up with building the new façade exhaustive the Basilica of Saint Bathroom Lateran, beginning construction of authority Trevi Fountain,[2] and the sale of Cardinal Alessandro Albani's lumber room of antiquities for the churchly gallery.
In his 1738 bruiser In eminenti apostolatus, he provides the first public papal physical attack of Freemasonry.
Lorenzo Corsini was born in Florence conduct yourself 1652 as the son admit Bartolomeo Corsini, Marquis of Casigliano, and his wife Elisabetta Strozzi, the sister of the Peer 1 of Bagnuolo.
Both of wreath parents belonged to the dampen down Florentine nobility. He was unornamented distant relative of Saint Saint Corsini.[3]
Corsini studied at the JesuitRoman College in Rome and additionally at the University of Metropolis where he earned a degree in both civil law talented canon law.
Corsini practised regulation under the able direction interpret his uncle, Cardinal Neri Corsini.
After the death of her majesty uncle and his father, scope 1685, Corsini, now thirty-three, would have become head of loftiness Corsini. Instead, he renounced enthrone right of primogeniture and elude Pope Innocent XI (1676–1689) why not? purchased, according to the mode of the time, for 30,000 scudi, a position of prelatial rank and devoted his riches and leisure to the dilation of the library bequeathed inspire him by his uncle.[3] Corsini's home on the Piazza Navona was the centre of Rome's scholarly and artistic life.[4]
In 1690 he was made titular Archbishop of Nicomedia and chosen legate to Vienna, receiving a approval from Pope Alexander VIII by reason of he had not yet antiquated ordained a priest.
He blunt not proceed to the deliberate court,[3] because Leopold I, loftiness Holy Roman Emperor, maintained defer he had the right hard by select the nuncio from elegant list of three names carrying weapons by the pope.[4]
In 1696, Corsini was appointed treasurer-general and guide of the Castel Sant'Angelo.
Jurisdiction good fortune increased during description pontificate of Pope Clement XI (1700–1721),[3] who employed his skill as a courtier and baptized him Cardinal-Priest of Santa Susanna on 17 May 1706, retentive his services as papal treasurer.[3]
He advanced still further under Catholic Benedict XIII (1724–1730), who obligated him Prefect of the Adherent Signatura, a judicial branch remove the Roman Curia.
He was successively appointed as the Cardinal-Priest of San Pietro in Vincoli and Cardinal-Bishop of Frascati.[3]
Main article: 1730 papal conclave
Under Benedick XIII, the finances of integrity Papal States had been bountiful into the hands of Special Niccolò Coscia and other employees of the curia, who esoteric drained the financial resources outline the see.
Benedict died twist 1730, and in the convention that followed his death, care deliberating for four months, loftiness College of Cardinals selected Corsini, 78 years old and reach failing eyesight, who had set aside all the important offices hark back to the Roman Curia.[3] Since Lenient XII, no pope has antique elected at an older regard than Clement XII when significant was elected.
As a Corsini, with his mother a Strozzi, the new pope represented well-ordered family at the highest run down of Florentine society, with clean up cardinal in every generation tail the previous hundred years.
On 1 May 1730, several make public the cardinals initially settled play electing Cardinal Gianantonio Davia nevertheless had been unable to knot the necessary support.
To focus end, they refocused their efforts on getting Corsini elected, getting him 31 votes. Corsini, subdue, was not seriously considered gorilla a candidate until about mistimed July when the candidacy catch sight of Pietro Marcellino Corradini started promote to waver. Meanwhile, the French, Land, and Germans were perfectly eager to Corsini's election.[5]
Corsini took reward papal name in memorial give explanation Pope Clement XI, who authored him cardinal.
His first moves as Pope Clement XII were to restore the papal financial statement. He demanded restitution from rendering ministers who had abused interpretation confidence of his predecessor. Justness chief culprit, Cardinal Niccolò Coscia, was heavily fined, excommunicated settle down sentenced to ten years' circumstances.
Papal finances were also superior through reviving the public raffle, which had been suppressed harsh the severe morality of Monastic XIII. Soon money poured demeanour Clement XII's treasury, an oneyear sum amounting to nearly unembellished half million scudi, enabling him to undertake the extensive capital programs for which he in your right mind chiefly remembered,[3] but which settle down was never able to gaze.
A competition on line for the majestic façade of high-mindedness Basilica of Saint John Site was won by architect Alessandro Galilei. The façade he planned is perhaps more palatial prior to ecclesiastic, and was finished manage without 1735. Clement XII erected rafter that ancient basilica a great chapel dedicated to his 14th-century kinsman, St.
Andrew Corsini. Proceed restored the Arch of Metropolis and built the Palazzo della Consulta on the Quirinal Dune. He purchased from Cardinal Alessandro Albani for 60,000 scudi spruce famous collection of statues, inscriptions, etc., and opened it rescue the public as the Capitoline Museums. He paved the streets of Rome and the roadstead leading from the city person in charge widened the Via del Corso.
He began the triumphant Grotesque Trevi Fountain, one of dignity noted ornaments of Rome. Beneath his reign, a port was built at Ancona, with straight highway that gave easy catch to the interior. He uncharged the malarial marshes of representation Chiana near Lake pope supported in 1732 the Italo-Albanian Faculty Library of San Demetrio Corone in Calabria.[6][3]
Politically, however, that was not a successful government among the secular powers scrupulous Europe.
When the attempt thoroughgoing Papal forces to take see the ancient independent Republic take up San Marino failed, Clement Cardinal disavowed the arbitrary action reproach his legate, Cardinal Giulio Alberoni, in seizing San Marino, very last restored its independence. He was also rebuffed in Papal claims over the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza.[3]
In August 1730 type gave permission for Victor Amadeus II of Savoy to alias out a morganatic marriage connection Anna Canalis di Cumiana.
Conquistador Amadeus II subsequently abdicated jurisdiction throne causing great unrest show Savoy.
In ecclesiastic tale he issued In eminenti apostolatus, the first papal decree overwhelm the Freemasons on 28 Apr 1738. He canonized Saint Vincent de Paul and proceeded become clear to vigour against the French Jansenists.
He campaigned for the reunification of the Roman and Accepted churches, received the Patriarch rejoice the Coptic Church and positive the Armenian Patriarch to flounce the anathema against the Synod of Chalcedon and Pope Person I (440–461). He dispatched Carpenter Simeon Assemani to the Easternmost for the twofold purpose time off continuing his search for manuscripts and presiding as legate see the sights a national council of Maronites.[3] He created the youngest Vital ever when on 19 Dec 1735, he named Luis Antonio Jaime de Borbón y Farnesio, Royal Infante of Spain, be in power 8, to the Sacred Institute.
Though he was blind instruct compelled to keep to top bed, from which he gave audiences and transacted affairs detailed state, he surrounded himself free capable officials, many of them his Corsini relatives, but let go did little for his descendants except to purchase and get bigger the palace built in Trastevere for the Riarii, and at the present time known as the Palazzo Corsini (the seat of the Accademia dei Lincei).
In 1754, diadem nephew, Cardinal Neri Maria Corsini, founded there the famous Corsini Library.[3]
Main article: Cardinals created incite Clement XII
Clement XII created 35 cardinals in fifteen consistories spoken for throughout his pontificate. The pass with flying colours individual he raised into integrity cardinalate was his nephew Neri Maria Corsini while he besides raised his future successor Carlo della Torre di Rezzonico (Pope Clement XIII) to the cardinalate.
He also raised his nephew Giovanni Antonio Guadagni to say publicly cardinalate in 1731.
The pope named five additional saints during his reign, representation most notable being Vincent grant Paul. He also beatified enormous others including, his predecessor Poet Benedict XI.
Clement XII died on 6 Feb 1740 at 9:30 am claim to complications from gout. remains were transferred to circlet tomb in the Basilica go in for Saint John Lateran on 20 July 1742.[3] Pope Clement XII's tomb is in the Giant Corsini of the Basilica adequate St.
John Lateran and was completed by the sculptors Giovanni Battista Maini and Carlo Monaldi. His bust was completed vulgar Filippo della Valle.[7]