Editing Pope Clement IX

{{Short description|Head of the Catholic Church from 1667 to 1669}}
{{more footnotes|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Pope
| honorific-prefix = [[List of popes|Pope]]
| name = Clement IX
| title = [[Bishop of Rome]]
| image = Portrait of Pope Clement IX, by Carlo Maratti (or Maratta) - Hermitage Museum.jpg
| image_size = 220px
| caption = Portrait by [[Carlo Maratta]], 1669
| birth_name = Giulio Rospigliosi
| church = [[Catholic Church]]
| term_start = 20 June 1667
| term_end = 9 December 1669
| predecessor = [[Alexander VII]]
| successor = [[Clement X]]
| ordination = 
| ordinated_by = 
| consecration = 29 March 1644
| consecrated_by = [[Antonio Marcello Barberini]]
| cardinal = 9 April 1657
| created_cardinal_by = [[Pope Alexander VII|Alexander VII]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|1600|1|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Pistoia]], [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1669|12|9|1600|1|28|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Rome]], [[Papal States]]
| previous_post = {{Indented plainlist|
*Referendary of the Apostolic Signatura (1632–1636)
*[[Sacred Congregation of Rites|Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of Rites]] (1632–1636)
*[[Apostolic Nuncio to Spain]] (1644–1653)
*Titular Archbishop of Tarsus (1644–1667)
*Official of the Roman Curia (1653–1655)
*[[Cardinal Secretary of State]] (1655–1667)
*Governor of Rome (1655)
*[[San Sisto Vecchio|Cardinal-Priest of San Sisto Vecchio]] (1657–1667)}}
| motto = ''Aliis non sibi Clemens'' ("Clement to others, not to himself")
| other = Clement
| coat_of_arms = C o a Clementem IX.svg
| signature = Signature of Pope Clement IX.svg{{!}}class=skin-invert
}}
'''Pope Clement IX''' ({{langx|la|Clemens IX}}; {{langx|it|Clemente IX}}; 28 January 1600&nbsp;– 9 December 1669), born '''Giulio Rospigliosi''', was head of the [[Catholic Church]] and ruler of the [[Papal States]] from 20 June 1667 to his death in December 1669.

Giulio Rospigliosi was born into the noble [[Rospigliosi family]] in 1600 and studied at the [[Pontifical Roman Major Seminary|Seminario Romano]] and the [[University of Pisa]]. He held various positions in the Church, including Titular Archbishop of Tarsus and Apostolic [[Nuncio]] to [[Habsburg Spain|Spain]]. As a man of letters, he wrote poetry, dramas, and libretti, and was a patron of the artist [[Nicolas Poussin]].

Appointed as a cardinal by [[Pope Alexander VII]], Rospigliosi was elected as Pope Clement IX in 1667. His pontificate was marked by mediation during European wars, and his popularity in Rome stemmed from his charity, humility, and refusal to advance his family's wealth. He beatified [[Rose of Lima]] and canonized [[Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi]] and [[Peter of Alcántara]], while also creating 12 new cardinals.

Clement IX was a patron of the arts, commissioning works from [[Gian Lorenzo Bernini]] and opening the first public opera house in Rome. He attempted to strengthen Venetian defenses against the Turks in [[Kingdom of Candia|Crete]], but was unsuccessful in gaining wider support. In 1669, after learning about the Venetian fortress of [[Siege of Candia|Candia surrendering to the Turks]], Clement IX fell ill and died.

==Biography==

===Early life and education===
Giulio Rospigliosi was born in 1600 to the [[Rospigliosi family]], a noble family of [[Pistoia]] in the [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany]] to Giacomo and Caterina Rospigliosi. He studied at the [[Pontifical Roman Major Seminary|Seminario Romano]] and later at the [[University of Pisa]] as a pupil of the [[Jesuits]], receiving doctorates in theology, philosophy and both canon and civil law in 1623. After receiving his doctorates, he taught theology there as a professor from 1623 to 1625.

===Episcopate and cardinalate===
Later Rospigliosi worked closely with [[Pope Urban VIII]] (1623–1644) where he worked in the [[Holy See|diplomatic corps]] as the Referendary of the [[Apostolic Signatura]]. He was appointed as the Titular Archbishop of Tarsus in 1644 and later received [[episcopal consecration]] in the Vatican. Rospigliosi also served as the [[Apostolic Nuncio to Spain]] from 1644 until 1653 when he decided to retire from that post. He lived in retirement throughout the pontificate of [[Pope Innocent X]] who disliked and distanced himself from those associated with his predecessor.<ref name=Loughlin>{{cite web| url = http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04028a.htm| title = Loughlin, James. "Pope Clement IX". ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. 9 Sept. 2014}}</ref> He was also made vicar of [[Santa Maria Maggiore]] in [[Rome]].

Rospigliosi was an accomplished man of letters who wrote poetry, dramas and [[libretti]], as well as what may be the first [[comic opera]], namely his 1637 libretto ''[[Chi soffre, speri]]''.<ref>[[Roger Parker]] (ed.): ''The Oxford illustrated history of opera''. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1994, p. 18 f.</ref><ref>Wolfgang Witzenmann: Article “Mazzocchi, Virgilio.” In: ''Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online.'' Oxford University Press, accessed July 6, 2016.</ref> He was also a patron of [[Nicolas Poussin]], commissioning ''[[A Dance to the Music of Time (painting)|A Dance to the Music of Time]]'' from him and dictating its iconography.

[[Pope Alexander VII]] appointed him to the cardinalate in 1657 as the Cardinal-Priest of [[San Sisto Vecchio]] and was also appointed as the [[Cardinal Secretary of State]] in 1655 which he held until 1667.<ref name=Loughlin/>

==Pontificate==

===Papal election===
{{main|Papal conclave, 1667}}
{{infobox popestyles
|image      = Coat of arms of Pope Clement IX.svg
|dipstyle   = [[His Holiness]]
|offstyle   = Your Holiness
|relstyle   = Holy Father
|deathstyle = None
|}}

[[Pope Alexander VII]] died in 1667 and a conclave to choose his successor was called. King [[Louis XIV]] of France instructed the French faction to turn their support to Rospigliosi and believed also that he would appease the Spanish faction of [[Charles II of Spain|Charles II]] due to the fact that he had once been the [[Apostolic Nuncio to Spain]]. On 20 June 1667, he was elected as pontiff and took the pontifical name of "Clement IX".

The new pope was [[Papal coronation|crowned]] on 26 June 1667 by the [[protodeacon]], [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|Cardinal]] [[Rinaldo d'Este (1618-1672)|Rinaldo d'Este]]. He later took possession of the [[Basilica of Saint John Lateran]] on 3 July 1667.

When asked about Rospigliosi becoming pope, Cardinal [[Francesco Albizzi]] said: "Urban turned the Holy See into a bank; Innocent into a brothel; Alexander into a tavern; this one will make a playhouse of it". Albizzi also alluded to Rospigliosi's passion for music and said, "He will emasculate the Sacred College by giving the hat to all the castrated singers in Europe!"<ref name=PPC>{{cite web|url=https://www.pickle-publishing.com/papers/triple-crown-clement-ix.htm|title=Pope Clement IX: Proceedings of the Conclave that led to his election|publisher=Pickle Publishing|date=2005|accessdate=7 March 2022}}</ref> When elected, Rospigliosi received all but two votes since he voted for another while Cardinal [[Neri Corsini (1614–1678)|Neri Corsini]] voted for Cardinal [[Flavio Chigi (1631–1693)|Flavio Chigi]].

===Actions===
Nothing remarkable occurred under Clement IX's short administration beyond the temporary adjustment of the disputes between the [[Holy See]] and those prelates of the [[Catholic Church in France|Gallican Church]] who had refused to join in condemning the writings of [[Jansenism|Jansen]]. He was [[Mediation|mediator]] during the 1668 [[Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (1668)|peace of Aachen]], in the wars between [[Kingdom of France|France]], [[Habsburg Spain|Spain]], [[Kingdom of England|England]] and the [[Dutch Republic|Netherlands]].

He was popular with the people of Rome, not so much for his erudition and application to business, as for his extreme charity and his affability towards great and small. He increased the goodwill of his subjects by buying off the monopolist who had secured the "macinato", or privilege of selling grain, and as his predecessor had collected the money for the purpose, Clement IX had the decree published in the name of Alexander VII. Two days each week he occupied a confessional in [[St. Peter's Basilica]] and heard any one who wished to confess to him. He frequently visited the hospitals, and was lavish in his alms to the poor. In an age of [[nepotism]], he did little or nothing to advance or enrich his family. In his aversion to notoriety, he refused to permit his name to be placed on the buildings erected during his reign.<ref name=Loughlin/>

[[File:Angelo de' rossi, papa clemente IX.JPG|thumb|upright|left|Statue of Clement IX]]

===Other actions===
{{main|Cardinals created by Clement IX}}
Clement IX confirmed the cultus of [[Blessed Margaret of Savoy|Margaret of Savoy]] on 9 October 1669. He also beatified [[Rose of Lima]] on 15 April 1668. On 28 April 1668, he canonized [[Magdalena de Pazzi]] and [[Peter of Alcántara]].

He elevated 12 new cardinals in three consistories; this included Emilio Bonaventura Altieri who would succeed him as [[Pope Clement X]].

===Art reforms===
As pope, Clement IX continued his interest in the arts. He embellished the city of Rome with famous works commissioned from [[Gian Lorenzo Bernini]], including the angels of [[Ponte Sant'Angelo]] and the [[colonnade]] of [[Saint Peter's Basilica]]. Somewhat unusually for Popes of the era, Clement IX did not have his name displayed on monuments he built. For the [[Carnival]] celebrations of 1668, commissioned [[Antonio Maria Abbatini]] of the [[Sistine Chapel Choir]] to set to music his free [[Italian language|Italian]] translation of a [[Spanish language|Spanish]] religious drama ''La Baltasara'', the production had sets designed by Bernini.

[[File:Carlo rainaldi, monum. a clemente IX (1671), con papa di domenico guidi, fede di cosimo fancelli e carità ercole ferrata 2.JPG|thumb|The tomb of Clement IX]]

===Defence against the Turks===
Clement IX worked to strengthen [[Republic of Venice|Venetian]] defences against the [[Ottoman Turks|Turks]] on the island of [[Crete]]. However, he was unable to get wider support for this cause. At the end of October 1669, Clement IX fell ill after receiving news that the Venetian fortress of [[Heraklion|Candia]] in Crete had [[Siege of Candia|surrendered]] to the Turks.

==Death and burial==
Clement IX died in Rome, allegedly of a broken heart, on 9 December 1669. His successor, [[Pope Clement X]] (r. 1670–1676), built him an ornate tomb in the basilica of [[Santa Maria Maggiore]]; he was the last pope interred there until the death and burial of [[Pope Francis]] in 2025.

Clement IX was seriously ill throughout the [[autumn]] in 1669 with a [[hernia]] and [[kidney stones]]. Despite his illness and his anxiety over the Turkish advances in Crete, he travelled on a pilgrimage to the seven Roman basilicas, however, that night, he had a severe apoplexy. On 29 November, just ten days before he died, he named seven new cardinals and announced one whom he had reserved "''[[in pectore]]''". However, the dying pope intended to create a "faction" for his nephew with which to use in the next conclave to defend his policies. Clement IX died of a stroke on 9 December, and it is believed this was perhaps brought on by learning of the defeat and expulsion of the Venetians from Crete.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/SV1670.html|title=Sede Vacante 1669-1670|publisher=CSUN|author=John Paul Adams|date=24 June 2015|accessdate=7 March 2022}}</ref>

Following his death, the Florentine agent in Rome, writing to Grand Duke [[Ferdinando II de' Medici]] a few days later, accuses the late Clement IX of having hidden the fact that he was [[epileptic]], which would have, according to the canon law in place at the time, disqualified him from exercising any ecclesiastical functions, however, this has never been proven.<ref name=PPC/>

==Artistic works==

===Libretti===
*for [[Giovanni Girolamo Kapsperger]]:  ''I Pastori di Betlemme'' (1630)
*for [[Stefano Landi]]: ''[[Il Sant'Alessio]]'' (1631–2, 1634)
*for [[Michelangelo Rossi|Michele Angelo Rossi]]:  ''Erminia sul Giordano'' (1633)
*for (composer unknown):  ''I Santi Didimo e Teodora'' (1635, 1636)
*for [[Marco Marazzoli]] and [[Virgilio Mazzocchi]]: ''[[Chi Soffre, Speri]]'' (1637, 1639)
*for [[Aurelio Aureli]]:  ''La Sincerità Trionfante'' (1638, 1639)
*for Virgilio Mazzocchi:  ''Il San Bonifazio'' (1638, 1639)
*for Virgilio Mazzocchi:  ''La Genoinda'' (1641)
*for [[Luigi Rossi]]: ''[[Il Palazzo Incantato]]'' (1642)
*for Virgilio Mazzocchi:  ''Il Sant'Eustachio'' (1643)
*for [[Antonio Maria Abbatini]] and Marco Marazzoli:  ''Dal Male Il Bene'' (1654, 1656)
*for Marco Marazzoli:  ''Le Armi e Gli Amori'' (1656)
*for Antonio Maria Abbatini:  ''La Comica del Cielo'' (1668)

==See also==
*[[Cardinals created by Clement IX]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book|title=I papi. Storia e segreti|first=Claudio |last=Rendina|publisher=Newton & Compton|location=Rome|year=1993}}
*{{cite book|title=Operas for the Papal Court, 1631–1668|first=Margaret |last=Murata|publisher=UMI Research Press|year=1981}}
==External links==
*{{commons category-inline|Clemens IX|Pope Clement IX}}
*{{wikisource author-inline}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130817154645/http://cockaigne.org.uk/Productions/rospigliosi.html Notes on 20th-century productions of Rospigliosi's operatic works]
*[http://www.nuovorinascimento.org/rosp-2000/home.htm  Banca dati Giulio Rospigliosi, maintained by Danilo Romei]

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Pope Alexander VII|Fabio Chigi]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Cardinal Secretary of State]]|years=1655–1667}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Decio Azzolini the younger|Decio Azzolini]]}}
{{s-rel|ca}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Pope Alexander VII|Alexander VII]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Pope]]|years=20 June 1667&nbsp;– 9 December 1669}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Clement X]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Popes}}
{{Catholicism}}
{{History of the Catholic Church}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clement 09}}

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[[Category:Pope Clement IX| ]]
[[Category:1600 births]]
[[Category:1669 deaths]]
[[Category:Rospigliosi family]]
[[Category:17th-century philanthropists]]
[[Category:17th-century popes]]
[[Category:Cardinal Secretaries of State]]
[[Category:Cardinals created by Pope Alexander VII]]
[[Category:Italian art patrons]]
[[Category:Italian male dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Italian opera librettists]]
[[Category:Italian popes]]
[[Category:People from Pistoia]]
[[Category:Popes]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Pisa]]
[[Category:Burials at Santa Maria Maggiore]]