Editing Pope Innocent XII (section)

==Biography==
===Early life===
Antonio Pignatelli was born on 13 March 1615 in [[Spinazzola]]<ref name=Ott>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08022a.htm Ott, Michael. "Pope Innocent XII." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 4 February 2019</ref> (now in [[Apulia]]) to one of the most aristocratic families of the [[Kingdom of Naples]], which had included several Viceroys and ministers of the crown. He was the fourth of five children of Francesco [[House of Pignatelli|Pignatelli]], 4th Marquess of Spinazzola, and wife Porzia [[House of Carafa|Carafa]], 1st Princess of Minervino. His siblings were Marzio, Ludovico, Fabrizio and Paola Maria. His mother was related to [[Pope Paul IV]].

He was educated at the [[Collegio Romano]] in [[Rome]] where he earned a [[doctorate]] in both [[Canon law|canon]] and civil law.

===Diplomatic career===
At the age of 20 he became an official of the [[Roman Curia|court]] of [[Pope Urban VIII]]. Pignatelli was the Referendary of the [[Apostolic Signatura]] and served as the governor of [[Fano]] and [[Viterbo]]. Later he went to [[Malta]] where he served as an [[inquisitor]] from 1646 to 1649,<ref name=miranda>{{cite web| url = http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios1681.htm#Pignatelli| title = Miranda, Salvador. "Antonio Pignatelli", Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, Florida International University| access-date = 2012-08-09| archive-date = 2018-02-13| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180213203912/http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios1681.htm#Pignatelli| url-status = dead}}</ref> and then governor of [[Perugia]]. Shortly after this, he received his priestly ordination.

===Episcopate and cardinalate===
[[Image:PIGNATELLI ANTONIO.jpg|165px|thumb|left|Cardinal Antonio Pignatelli]]
Pignatelli was made Titular [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Larissa|Archbishop of Larissa]] in 1652 and received [[episcopal consecration]] in Rome. He served as the [[Apostolic Nuncio to Poland]] from 1660 to 1668 and later to [[Apostolic Nunciature to Austria|Austria]] from 1668 to 1671.<ref name=Ott/> He was transferred to [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lecce|Lecce]] in 1671. [[Pope Innocent XI]] appointed him as the Cardinal-Priest of [[San Pancrazio]] in 1681 and then moved him to the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Faenza|see of Faenza]] in 1682. He was moved to his final post before the papacy, as [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Naples|Archbishop of Naples]] in 1686.