Birth. March 30, 1829, Albano Laziale.

Education. Collegio Romano, Rome.

Early life. Secretary to Cardinal Karl August von Reisach. Served in several diplomatic missions of the Holy See, among them as auditor in the nunciature in Spain in 1857, representing Pope Pius IX at the baptism of furture King Alfonso XIII; and in the negotiations of the concordat of 1867.

Priesthood. Ordained (no further information found). Secretary of the S.C. of Studies, 1877-1880. Prefect of Studies of the Roman Seminary, 1879-1880. Substitute of the Secretariat of State and secretary of the Cipher, November 16, 1880. Consultor of the S.C. of the Holy Office, November 24, 1880. Protonoatry apostolic ad instar participantium, December 5, 1881. Protonotary apostolic de numero participantium, July 15, 1882. Secretary of the S.C. of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, October 29, 1882. He had serious health problems. Auditor of the Apostolic Chamber, July 31, 1885.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of May 23, 1887; received red hat and deaconry of S. Maria ad Martyres, May 26, 1887. Prefect Tribunal of the Signature of Justice, February 20, 1889.

Death. July 31, 1890, of a cardiac illness, Rome. Exposed in the deaconry of S. Maria della Scala, where the funeral took place on August 4; and buried in the chapel of the Pious Society of Missions, Campo Verano cemetery, Rome.

Bibliography. LeBlanc, Jean. Dictionnaire biographique des cardinaux du XIXe siècle : contribution à l'histoire du Sacré Collège sous les potificats de Pie VII, Léon XII, Pie VIII, GrégoireXVI, Pie IX et Léon XIII, 1800-1903. Montréal : Wilson & Lafleur, 2007. (Collection Gratianus. Série instruments de recherche = Gratianus series. Série Instruments de recherche; Variation: Collection Gratianus.; Série Instruments de recherche), p. 710-711; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen VIII (1846-1903). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1979, pp. 33 and 55.

Birth. February 23, 1821, Florence. His father was a merchant. At bapstism, he received the name Antonio; Agostino is his religious name.

Education. Initial studies in Florence; then, he entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) at the convent of that city; there, he studied philosophy; at the Dominican convent of S. Maria sopra Minerva, in Rome, he studied theology; made his religious profession on November 9, 1844.

Priesthood. Ordained, March 24, 1845, Florence. Lector of theology in Rome in July 1847. Assigned to teah theology at the convent of S. Maria Novella in Florence. In 1849, he accompanied, as secretary, Antonio Merciai, O.P., titular archbishiop of Teodosiopoli, apostolic delegate before the Chaldeans, Armenians and Syrians of Mesopotamia, Kurdistan and Armenia, and prefect of the missions in Mossul, who was returning to his post. Charged with the administration of the apostolic delegation of Diarbékir in October 1850, after the death of Archbishop Merciai; he established himself in Mossul and later in Nur-Jaruk, where he learned the local languages; later, he became a missionary in Kurdistan, where he was imprisoned and retained as hostage; after his liberation, when he was preparing to go to Armenia, he had to return to Italy in 1856 because of poor health; he spenat some years in Ancona in recovery. In 1860, he went to the convent of S. Maria Novella in Florence, where he taught theology and Oriental languages (he knew Hebrew, Arabic, Trukish, Chaldean, Armenian and Kurdish). At that time, he became vicar general of the Congregation of S. Marco. In 1869, he was named professor fo dognatic theology at the archdiocesan seminary of Florence; he also became known as an excellent conferencist (1866-1875). He participated in the First Vatican Council as theologian of the archbishop of Florence. After the council, he resumed his teaching of theology at the seminary and became prior of the convent of S. Maria Novella. Named master of the Sacred Palace on January 17, 1882.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of May 23, 1887; received red hat and deaconry of S. Maria in Domnica, May 26, 1887. President of the Pontifical Academy of the Catholic Religion, Rome, December 22, 1887.

Episcopate. Elected archbishop of Florence, February 11, 1889. Opted for order of priests and title of S. Sabina, February 14, 1889. Consecrated, March 24, 1889, Sala Ducale, Vatican, by Pope Leo XIII, assisted by Francesco di Paola Cassetta, titular archbishop of Nicomedia, papal almoner, and by Guglielmo Piferri, O.S.A., titular bishop of Porfireone, papal sacristan.

Death. April 15, 1899, Florence. Exposed in the metropolitan cathedral of Florence, where the funeral took place on August 19; and buried, on August 25, in a provisional chapel in Mercy Cemetery, Soffiano; transferred definitively to the grand chapel of the same cemetery, October 29, 1901.

Bibliography. LeBlanc, Jean. Dictionnaire biographique des cardinaux du XIXe siècle : contribution à l'histoire du Sacré Collège sous les potificats de Pie VII, Léon XII, Pie VIII, GrégoireXVI, Pie IX et Léon XIII, 1800-1903. Montréal : Wilson & Lafleur, 2007. (Collection Gratianus. Série instruments de recherche = Gratianus series. Série Instruments de recherche; Variation: Collection Gratianus.; Série Instruments de recherche), p. 128-129; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen VIII (1846-1903). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1979, pp. 33, 52, 55 and 272.

©1998-2010 Salvador Miranda.