Gian Francesco Albani

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See Albani for other uses of that name

Gian Francesco Albani (26 February 1720 – 15 September 1803) was a Roman Catholic Cardinal born to a significant religious family in Rome. The Albanis had come to Italy from Albania in the fifteenth century and soon entered ecclesiastical and secular nobility—the first cardinal of the family was Gian Girolamo Albani in 1570. His father was duke of Soriano Carlo Albani, his grand-uncle was Pope Clement IX (also given the name Gianfrancesco Albani). Furthermore, two of his uncles Annibale Albani and Alessandro Albani were cardinals, and was himself uncle of cardinal Giuseppe 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 patriarchal Liberian basilica in March 1742. Later in the same year, in November, he was made president of the Papal chamber; and also cleric of the Apostolic 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 1773 he was elevated to cardinal deacon in the consistory and was ceremonially elevated and given the deaconry of S. Cesareo on 15 May. He went on to receive the subdiaconate (November 1747) and the diaconate (31 March 1748). 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 on 21 July 1760 over the suburbicarian see of Sabina. He further opted for the see of Porto e Santa Rufina on 17 March 1773 and Ostia e Velletri on 18 December 1775. He became sub-dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals. He further paricipated in the Papal conclaves of 1769, 1774–1775, and 1799–1800. He was also made archpriest 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 to Venice where the Papal conclave of 1800 took place. He died in Rome on the 15 September 1803—his funeral was held in the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella, Rome and was buried in the patriarchal Liberian basilica.