Marcantonio Franciotti

Marco Antonio Franciotti (1592 – 8 February 1666) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Bishop of Lucca.

Franciotti was born in 1592 in Lucca, Tuscany, the son of Curzio Franciotti.

He was educated at the University of Bologna where he studied law. Thereafter, he went to Rome and became a papal prelate and was employed by Giambattista Spada. He was appointed Protonotary apostolic participantium in 1619.

In 1622, Franciotti was made Governor of Faenza and then Fabriano and general auditor of the Apostolic Chamber the following year. He was promoted to cleric of the Apostolic Chamber in 1626 and was named Prefect of the Annona in 1627 (a honorific title maintained by the church in the same vein as that of Praefectus annonae in Ancient Rome). He was promoted again to Auditor General of the Apostolic Chamber and held the position for 8 years; between 1629 and 1637.

Franciotti was actually elevated to cardinal by Pope Urban VIII in November 1633 but the elevation was reserved in pectore tacite and was only published in the consistory of 30 March 1637 when Franciotti was appointed Bishop of Lucca; his home city. Franciotti was consecrated a month later, on 19 April 1637 at the Quirinale Palace by Cardinal Antonio Marcello Barberini.

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