The Papal conclave of 1655 was the papal conclave

Papal conclave

A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...

 of Cardinal

Cardinal (Catholicism)

A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...

s called on the death of Pope Innocent X

Pope Innocent X

Pope Innocent X , born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj , was Pope from 1644 to 1655. Born in Rome of a family from Gubbio in Umbria who had come to Rome during the pontificate of Pope Innocent IX, he graduated from the Collegio Romano and followed a conventional cursus honorum, following his uncle...

. The conclave elected Fabio Chigi, who took office as Alexander VII.

History

At the death of Pope Innocent X

Pope Innocent X

Pope Innocent X , born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj , was Pope from 1644 to 1655. Born in Rome of a family from Gubbio in Umbria who had come to Rome during the pontificate of Pope Innocent IX, he graduated from the Collegio Romano and followed a conventional cursus honorum, following his uncle...

, the cardinals of the College

College of Cardinals

The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...

 once again took to their respective sides in the French

Kingdom of France

The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...

-Spanish

Spanish Empire

The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....

 conflict for control of the Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

.

Francesco Barberini

Francesco Barberini (seniore)

Francesco Barberini was an Italian Catholic Cardinal. The nephew of Pope Urban VIII , he benefited immensely from the nepotism practiced by his uncle...

 once again sided with the Spanish while his brother, Antonio Barberini

Antonio Barberini

Antonio Barberini was an Italian Catholic cardinal, Archbishop of Reims, military leader, patron of the arts and a prominent member of the House of Barberini. As one of the cardinal-nephews of Pope Urban VIII and a supporter of France, he played a significant role at a number of the papal...

, again sided with the French. The third Barberini

Barberini

The Barberini are a family of the Italian nobility that rose to prominence in 17th century Rome. Their influence peaked with the election of Cardinal Maffeo Barberini to the papal throne in 1623, as Pope Urban VIII...

 brother, Don Taddeo Barberini

Taddeo Barberini

Taddeo Barberini was an Italian nobleman of the House of Barberini who became Prince of Palestrina and Gonfalonier of the Church; commander of the Papal Army. He was a nephew of Pope Urban VIII and brother of Cardinals Francesco Barberini and Antonio Barberini...

 (Prince of Palestrina

Palestrina

Palestrina is an ancient city and comune with a population of about 18,000, in Lazio, c. 35 km east of Rome...

), had died while the three were in exile in France at Pope Innocent X's orders. There they had lived under the protection of Cardinal Mazarin but they returned to Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

 after reconciling with the Pamphili

Pamphili

The Pamphili are one of the papal families deeply entrenched in Roman Catholic Church, Roman and Italian politics of the 16th and 17th centuries ....

 and allying with Innocent X's closest advisor, Olimpia Maidalchini

Olimpia Maidalchini

Olimpia Maidalchini , also spelled Olympia and known as Donna Olimpia, was the sister-in-law of Pope Innocent X .- Early life :...

. Papal nepotism

Nepotism

Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....

 of the era was so rife that the two Barberini

Barberini

The Barberini are a family of the Italian nobility that rose to prominence in 17th century Rome. Their influence peaked with the election of Cardinal Maffeo Barberini to the papal throne in 1623, as Pope Urban VIII...

 brothers entered the conclave alongside Girolamo Colonna

Girolamo Colonna

Girolamo Colonna was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and member of the noble Colonna family.-Biography:...

 (Taddeo's brother-in-law), Carlo Barberini

Carlo Barberini

thumb|Cardinal Carlo Barberini .Carlo Barberini was an Italian Catholic cardinal and member of the Barberini family. He was the grand-nephew of Maffeo Barberini and son of Taddeo Barberini .-Biography:Carlo Barberini was born 1 June 1630 in Rome...

 (Taddeo's son), Rinaldo d'Este (brother of Francesco d'Este; married to Taddeo's daughter) and Camillo Astalli-Pamphili

Camillo Astalli

Camillo Astalli was an Italian cardinal, elevated on 19 September 1650 by Pope Innocent X, who simultaneously adopted him into the Pamphili family and appointed him Cardinal-Nephew...

 (Donna Olimpia's bumbling nephew).

Despite myriad family connections, the College of Cardinals

College of Cardinals

The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...

 was fractured into support for dozens of candidates. Giulio Cesare Sacchetti

Giulio Cesare Sacchetti

thumb|Cardinal Giulio Cesare Sacchetti, Pietro da Cortona, 1626Giulio Cesare Sacchetti was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and was twice unsuccessfully nominated by France for election as Pope.-Early life:...

 was, as he had been at the 1644 conclave

Papal conclave, 1644

The papal conclave of 1644 was the papal conclave of Cardinals called on the death of Pope Urban VIII. It lasted from 9 August to 15 September 1644 and eventually chose Giovanni Battista Pamphili, who took office as Pope Innocent X.- Urban's influence :...

, put forward by the French delegation but his nomination was vetoed by the Spanish.

Though Fabio Chigi was not the Spanish nominee, those cardinals who stood in support of Spain had no particular objection to him. With their candidate excluded, the French delegation, too, found themselves with no real objection to Chigi. Only Olimpia Maidalchini was left to be convinced. Facing a horde of bored, trouble-making young cardinals, the older cardinals aligned to turn Donna Olimpia to their cause and convinced her to withdraw any objection to Chigi.

On 7 April 1655, Fabio Chigi was elected Pope and took the throne as Pope Alexander VII

Pope Alexander VII

Pope Alexander VII , born Fabio Chigi, was Pope from 7 April 1655, until his death.- Early life :Born in Siena, a member of the illustrious banking family of Chigi and a great-nephew of Pope Paul V , he was privately tutored and eventually received doctorates of philosophy, law, and theology from...

.

Participating cardinals

• Cardinal Dean
  Dean of the College of Cardinals
  The Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals is the president of the College of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church, and as such always holds the rank of Cardinal Bishop. The Dean is not necessarily the longest-serving member of the whole College...
  
  : Carlo de' Medici
• Sub-dean: Francesco Barberini
  Francesco Barberini (seniore)
  Francesco Barberini was an Italian Catholic Cardinal. The nephew of Pope Urban VIII , he benefited immensely from the nepotism practiced by his uncle...
  
  

• Bernardino Spada
• Giulio Cesare Sacchetti
  Giulio Cesare Sacchetti
  thumb|Cardinal Giulio Cesare Sacchetti, Pietro da Cortona, 1626Giulio Cesare Sacchetti was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and was twice unsuccessfully nominated by France for election as Pope.-Early life:...
  
  
• Marzio Ginetti
  Marzio Ginetti
  Marzio Ginetti was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Cardinal Vicar of Rome. He was the uncle of Giovanni Francesco Ginetti....
  
  
• Luigi Capponi
• Ernst Adalbert von Harrach
  Ernst Adalbert von Harrach
  thumb|200px|right|Count Ernst Adalbert von Harrach upon his appointment as [[Archbishop of Prague]].Count Ernst Adalbert von Harrach was an Austrian Catholic Cardinal who was appointed Archbishop of Prague and Prince-Bishop of Trento...
  
  
• Antonio Barberini
  Antonio Barberini
  Antonio Barberini was an Italian Catholic cardinal, Archbishop of Reims, military leader, patron of the arts and a prominent member of the House of Barberini. As one of the cardinal-nephews of Pope Urban VIII and a supporter of France, he played a significant role at a number of the papal...
  
  
• Girolamo Colonna
  Girolamo Colonna
  Girolamo Colonna was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and member of the noble Colonna family.-Biography:...
  
  
• Giovanni Battista Maria Pallotta
  Giovanni Battista Maria Pallotta
  Giovanni Battista Maria Pallotta was an Italian Cardinal .He was a papal nuncio at the end of the 1620s, becoming titular archbishop of Tessalonica in 1628. He became a Cardinal in 1629....
  
  
• Francesco Maria Brancaccio
  Francesco Maria Brancaccio
  Francesco Maria Brancaccio was an Italian cardinal.He was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Urban VIII in his consistory of 28 November 1633. He became Bishop of Viterbo in 1638, then of Sabina , and finally of Frascati...
  
  
• Alessandro Bichi
  Alessandro Bichi
  Alessandro Bichi was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and papal nuncio to France.-Biography:Bichi was born in Siena in 1596, the son of Vincenzo Bichi and nephew of Cardinal Metello Bichi....
  
  
• Ulderico Carpegna
  Ulderico Carpegna
  Ulderico Carpegna was an Italian jurist and Cardinal.Born at Scavolino, he was from a family of the Roman nobility, connected with the Montefeltro family....
  
  
• Stefano Durazzo
• Marco Antonio Franciotti
• Ascanio Filomarino
  Ascanio Filomarino
  Ascanio Filomarino was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal, who was Archbishop of Naples from 1641 to 1666.-Biography:...
  
  
• Marco Antonio Bragadin
  Marco Antonio Bragadin
  Marco Antonio Bragadin, also Marcantonio Bragadin was an Italian lawyer and military officer of the Republic of Venice....
  
  
• Pier Donato Cesi
  Pier Donato Cesi (1583-1656)
  Pier Donato Cesi was an Italian Catholic Cardinal. He is sometimes referred to as Pier Donato Cesi, iuniore to differentiate between him and his predecessor Pier Donato Cesi seniore ....
  
  
• Vincenzo Maculani
  Vincenzo Maculani
  Vincenzo Maculani was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and military architect.-Early life:Maculani was born Gaspare Maculani on 11 September 1578 at Fiorenzuola d'Arda...
  
  
• Francesco Peretti di Montalto
  Francesco Peretti di Montalto
  Francesco Peretti di Montalto was an Italian Catholic Cardinal.Peretti was born to an Italian noble family. By birth he was to be the successor of his father; Prince of Venafro, Venetian patrician, Marquis of San Martino, Count of Celano and Baron of Pescina. But he was also a nephew of Cardinal...
  
  
• Cesare Facchinetti
  Cesare Facchinetti
  Cesare Facchinetti was an Italian Catholic Cardinal.Facchinetti was born 17 September 1608 in Bologna. He was the son of Ludovico Facchinetti and Violante da Correggio...
  
  
• Girolamo Grimaldi-Cavalleroni
  Girolamo Grimaldi-Cavalleroni
  Girolamo Grimaldi-Cavalleroni was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Aix.-Biography:Grimaldi was born in Genoa, the son of Giacomo Grimaldi, a senator of the Republic of Genoa, and his wife Girolama di Agostino de' Mari.He was sent to Rome for his education, and...
  
  
• Carlo Rossetti
  Carlo Rossetti
  thumb|200 px|Carlo Rossetti after his return to Rome.Carlo Rossetti was an Italian Catholic Cardinal who went to London as a secret nuncio on behalf of Pope Urban VIII...
  
  
• Francesco Angelo Rapaccioli
• Francesco Adriano Ceva
  Francesco Adriano Ceva
  Francesco Adriano Ceva was a Catholic Cardinal from Savoy.Francesco Adriano Ceva was born in 1580 in Mondovì, Savoy to the House of Ceva; Marquises of Ceva...
  
  
• Angelo Giori
• Juan de Lugo y de Quiroga
• Domenico Cecchini
• Niccolò Albergati-Ludovisi
  Niccolò Albergati-Ludovisi
  thumb|Cardinal Niccolò Albergati-Ludovisi.Niccolò Albergati-Ludovisi was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Archbishop of Bologna. He was a cousin of Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi....
  
  
• Pier Luigi Carafa (died in conclave, 15 February 1655)
• Alderano Cybo
  Alderano Cybo
  thumb|250 px|Cardinal Alderano CyboAlderano Cybo was an Italian Catholic Cardinal.-Biography:Cybo was born 16 July 1613 in Genoa and went to Rome at an early age as prelate to Pope Urban VIII....
  
  
• Fabrizio Savelli
• Francesco Cherubini
• Camillo Astalli-Pamphili
• Jean François Paul de Gondi
• Fabio Chigi (elected Pope Alexander VII
  Pope Alexander VII
  Pope Alexander VII , born Fabio Chigi, was Pope from 7 April 1655, until his death.- Early life :Born in Siena, a member of the illustrious banking family of Chigi and a great-nephew of Pope Paul V , he was privately tutored and eventually received doctorates of philosophy, law, and theology from...
  
  )
• Giovanni Girolamo Lomellini
• Luigi Omodei
  Luigi Omodei (1607-1685)
  Luigi Omodei was an Italian cardinal. His nephew Luigi Omodei was also a cardinal.-Life:He exercised several duties in the Roman Curia, notably commissioner general of the papal states under pope Innocent X and general of the papal army...
  
  
• Pietro Vito Ottoboni (later elected Pope Alexander VIII
  Pope Alexander VIII
  Pope Alexander VIII , born Pietro Vito Ottoboni, was Pope from 1689 to 1691.-Early life:Pietro Ottoboni was born of a noble Venetian family, and was the son of Marco Ottoboni, chancellor of the Republic of Venice...
  
  )
• Giacomo Corradi
• Marcello Santacroce
• Baccio Aldobrandini
• Friedrich von Hessen-Darmstadt
  Friedrich von Hessen-Darmstadt
  Friedrich von Hessen-Darmstadt was a German Roman Catholic Church Cardinal who was appointed Crown-cardinal of Austria....
  
  
• Lorenzo Imperiali
• Giberto Borromeo
• Giovanni Battista Spada
• Prospero Caffarelli
• Francesco Albizzi
• Ottavio Acquaviva d'Aragona
• Gian Giacomo Teodoro Trivulzio
  Gian Giacomo Teodoro Trivulzio
  Gian Giacomo Teodoro Trivulzio was an Italian Cardinal from Milan, who held several high functions in service of the Spanish Crown....
  
  
• Giulio Gabrielli
• Virginio Orsini
  Virginio Orsini
  Gentile Virginio Orsini was an Italian condottiero and vassal of the papal throne and the Kingdom of Naples, mainly remembered as the powerful head of the Orsini family during its feud with Pope Alexander VI...
  
  
• Rinaldo d'Este
• Vincenzo Costaguti
  Vincenzo Costaguti
  Vincenzo Costaguti was an Italian Catholic Cardinal-Early life:Costaguti was born in 1612 in Rome to the Costaguti; Genoese nobility. He was the son of Prospero Costaguti and his first wife Paola Costa...
  
  
• Giovanni Stefano Donghi
• Paolo Emilio Rondinini
  Paolo Emilio Rondinini
  Paolo Emilio Rondinini, born in 1617 to Alessandro Rondinini and Felice Zacchia, was a grand-nephew on his mother's side of Cardinal Paolo Emilio Zacchia and grandson of Cardinal Laudivio Zacchia.-Earli Life and Education:...
  
  
• Giancarlo de' Medici
  Giancarlo de' Medici
  Giancarlo de' Medici was an Italian cardinal of the House of Medici. Brother of Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany....
  
  
• Federico Sforza
• Benedetto Odescalchi (later elected Pope Innocent XI
  Pope Innocent XI
  Blessed Pope Innocent XI , born Benedetto Odescalchi, was Pope from 1676 to 1689.-Early life:Benedetto Odescalchi was born at Como in 1611 , the son of a Como nobleman, Livio Odescalchi, and Paola Castelli Giovanelli from Gandino...
  
  )
• Cristoforo Vidman
• Lorenzo Raggi
• Francesco Maidalchini
  Francesco Maidalchini
  Francesco Maidalchini was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.-Early life:Maidalchini was born 12 April 1631 in Viterbo, the son of Andrea Maidalchini and Pacifica Feliziani...
  
  
• Carlo Barberini
  Carlo Barberini
  thumb|Cardinal Carlo Barberini .Carlo Barberini was an Italian Catholic cardinal and member of the Barberini family. He was the grand-nephew of Maffeo Barberini and son of Taddeo Barberini .-Biography:Carlo Barberini was born 1 June 1630 in Rome...
  
  
• Carlo Pio
• Carlo Gualterio
  Carlo Gualterio
  Carlo Gualterio was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal.-Biography:Gualterio was born at Orvieto. Among his relatives, Silvio Antoniani was cardinal and Sebastiano Gualterio had been Bishop of Viterbo, Papal Nuncio to France and the Council of Trent...
  
  
• Decio Azzolino
  Decio Azzolino
  Decio Azzolino , generally known as the Younger, was an Italian cardinal.He was born at Fermo, the son of Pompeo Azzolino and Giulia Ruffo, and great-nephew of Cardinal Decio Azzolino the Elder. He received doctorates in philosophy, juridics and theology from Fermo University...
  
  

Absent cardinals

• Baltasar Moscoso y Sandoval
• Alfonso de la Cueva-Benavides y Mendoza-Carrillo
• Jules Raymond Mazarin

Sources

• S. Miranda: Papal Conclave, 1655.
• The Triple Crown: An Account of the Papal Conclaves by Valérie Pirie.