Bonifazio Bevilacqua Aldobrandini

Bonifazio Bevilacqua Aldobrandini (1571 – April 7, 1627) was an Italian Cardinal. He was the uncle of Pope Gregory XIV.

In 1601, Pope Clement VIII associated Count Luigi Bevilacqua and his two brothers, Conte Bonifazio IV (1571-1627) and Conte Alfonso II (1565-1610), with his own family granting them use of his family’s Aldobrandini Coat of Arms and the right to appoint courts and judges in their territories. They were also made Counts of the Palace and Knights of the Lateran and of the Golden Spur. Luigi also acquired citizenship in Rome, Bologna, Mantua and Montferrat with the Castle of Fontanile, Perugia, and Assisi. In 1607, Pope Paul V appointed him Captain of the Curiasses and the Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando I gave him the Leadership of the Helmets. In addition, Clement made Bonifazio a cardinal in 1599.

Bonifazio was a “secret waiter” of Pope Gregory XIII in his youth, and received his doctorate in law at the University of Padua. Later, Bonifazio became Archdeacon of Ferrara and the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople.

Bonifazio was also elected Governor of Fano, and Governor of the Duchy of Camerino which were part of the Papal States at the time. During the conclave of Pope Gregory XV, Bonifazio formed strong alliances on the side of the French against Cardinal Guido Bentivoglio and the Spanish. When Gregory became pope, he gave Bonifazio citizenship in the Republic of Lucca. Due to the political animosity among the cardinals during his election, Pope Gregory XV abolished these abuses by making the balloting secret with no cardinal able to vote for himself.

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