Editing Pope Benedict XIV (section)

==Election to the papacy==
{{Main|Papal conclave, 1740}}
[[File:Prospero Lambertini by Giuseppe Maria Crespi.jpg|thumb|left|Cardinal Lambertini c. 1740.]]
After the death of [[Pope Clement XII]] on 6 February 1740, Cardinal Lambertini attended the [[Papal conclave, 1740|papal conclave]] to choose a successor. The Conclave opened on 18 February, but Lambertini did not arrive until 5 March. He was not one of the '[[Papabile|papabili]]', not being one of the favorites of any of the factions (Imperialists, Spanish, French, [[Zelanti]]). The Conclave lasted for six months.<ref>F. Petruccelli della Gattina ''Histoire diplomatique des Conclaves'' IV (Paris 1866) pp. 108–133.</ref> At first Cardinal [[Pietro Ottoboni (cardinal)|Pietro Ottoboni]], the [[Dean of the College of Cardinals]], was favored to be elected, but a number of cardinals were opposed to him because he was the protector of [[Kingdom of France|France]] in the Papal Curia.<ref>{{cite book|last=Artaud de Montor|first=Alexis Francois|title=The Lives and Times of the Popes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kr8jAQAAIAAJ|volume=VII|year=1911|publisher=Catholic Publication Society of America|location=New York|page=4}}</ref> His death on 29 February 1740 eliminated him from consideration.<ref>Ritzler-Sefrin, V, p. 16 no. 1.</ref>

Cardinal Domenico Riviera of [[Urbino]] received a respectable number of votes for a while, and then, in July, Cardinal [[Pompeio Aldrovandi]] of Bologna. He had enemies, however, who assembled enough votes to ensure that he would never get the two-thirds needed to be elected. His greatest enemy, the [[Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church|Camerlengo]] Cardinal [[Annibale Albani]], chose instead to support Cardinal [[Giacomo de Lanfredini]] of Florence, who worked in Rome in the Curia. In mid-August, Albani asked the leader of the Imperialist faction, Cardinal Niccolò del Giudice, to give a thought to Lambertini. After long deliberations, Lambertini was put forth to the cardinal electors as a compromise candidate, and it is reported that he said to the members of the College of Cardinals "If you wish to elect a saint, choose Gotti; a statesman, Aldrovandi; an honest man, me."<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vWP_K-lZCB0C&pg=PA21 |page=21 |title=Pocket Dictionary of Popes |isbn=978-0860124207 |last1=Walsh |first1=Michael J. |date=2006 |publisher=A&C Black }}</ref> [[Vincenzo Ludovico Gotti]] (1664–1742) was professor of philosophy at the College of Saint Thomas, and perhaps the leading [[Thomism|Thomist]] of his time.<ref>Salvador Miranda, ''The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church'', [http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios1728.htm "Gotti, O.P., Vincenzo Ludovico"]; Retrieved 7 February 2011.</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/16041d.htm | title=Catholic Encyclopedia: Vincent Louis Gotti}}</ref> Cardinal Aldrovandi was a canon lawyer.

This witticism appears to have assisted his cause, which also benefited from his reputation for deep learning, gentleness, wisdom, and conciliation in policy.<ref name=cicognani>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=elQwAQAAIAAJ |page=401 |title=Canon law: I. Introduction to the study of canon law. II. History of the sources of canon law. III. A commentary on book 1 of the code |last1=Cicognani |first1=Amleto Giovanni |last2=O'Hara |first2=Joseph Michael |last3=Brennan |first3=Francis |year=1934 }}</ref> On the evening of 17 August 1740 at around 9:00 pm, on the 255th ballot, he was elected pope and took the throne name of Benedict XIV in honour of [[Pope Benedict XIII]] to whom he owed his ecclesiastical career.<ref>Pastor, Vol. 35, pp. 3–22. Benedict XIV wrote a letter about the Conclave to his friend Francesco Peggi: F.S. Kraus (editor), ''Briefe Benedikts XIV an den Canonicus Pier Francesco Peggio in Bologna (1729–1758)'', zweite Ausgabe (Freiburg im Breisgau 1888), pp. 171–173.</ref> He was solemnly [[Papal coronation|crowned]] by the [[protodeacon]] on 21 August 1740. By 30 August 1740 the famous ephemeral baroque structures of the Festival of the [[Chinea]] and the triumphal arch of Benedict XIV were erected by [[Charles III of Spain|Charles VII of Naples]], [[Kingdom of Naples|King of Naples]] and a papal vassal.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}

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