ALBANI

Distinguished Umbrian family of Urbino who were prominent in the Church in the 18th and 19th centuries. The most influential member of the family was Pope clement xi (1700–21); three of his nephews and a grandnephew were cardinals, all of them closely associated with the papal curia.

Annibale, papal diplomat; b. Urbino, Aug. 15, 1682; d. Rome, Sept. 21, 1751. He was created cardinal in 1711 by his uncle and was appointed bishop of Sabina in 1730. During most of Clement's reign, Annibale was one of the most active diplomats in the Vatican service, occupying in succession the post of nuncio in Vienna, Dresden, and Frankfurt. He exerted considerable influence in the elections of both Innocent XIII and Benedict XIV. He left a valuable library, gallery of paintings, and a collection of coins and antiques to the Vatican collection. Among his literary works was the edition of the writings of Clement XI.

Alessandro, brother of Annibale; b. Urbino, Oct. 19, 1692; d. Rome, Dec. 11, 1779. He was created cardinal by Innocent XII (1721), after he had distinguished himself in the papal diplomatic service. While he was always involved in the political life of the curia, he was primarily a scholar, and after 1761 he was director of the Vatican Library. He was a patron of the arts and a friend of the foremost collectors of antiques; he gained renown for his building of the Villa Albani in Rome, in which he housed a valuable collection of Greek and Roman sculpture.

Giovanni Francesco, a third nephew of Clement; b. Rome, Feb. 26, 1727; d. Rome, September 1803. He was cardinal bishop of Ostia. He was spokesman for the Austrians in the papal curia, and toward the end of his career, was dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals and particularly influential in the election of pius vii.

Giuseppe, Giovanni Francesco's nephew; b. Rome, Feb. 26, 1750; d. 1834. He, too, was created cardinal (1801) after some years of service in Vienna. He was secretary of state to pius viii.

Bibliography: e. re, Enciclopedia Italiana di scienzi littere ed arti (Rome 1929–39) 2:95. l. pastor, The History of Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages (London-St. Louis 1938–61): from the 1st German ed. Geschichte der Päpste seit dem Ausgang des Mittelalters (Freiburg 1885–1933; repr. 1955–) v.33, 34, 35. p. richard, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillart et al. (Paris 1912–) 1:1369–73.

[c. b. o'keefe]