Giovanni Antonio Guadagni
| His Eminence Giovanni Antonio Guadagni Servant of God | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal Vicar General of Rome | |
 | |
| In office | 1 March 1732 - 15 January 1759 |
| Predecessor | Prospero Marefoschi |
| Successor | Antonio Maria Erba-Odescalchi |
| Other posts |
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| Orders | |
| Ordination | 11 March 1702 |
| Consecration |
31 December 1724 by Lorenzo Corsini |
| Created Cardinal |
24 September 1731 by Pope Clement XII |
| Rank |
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| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Giovanni Antonio Guadagni |
| Born |
14 September 1674 Florence |
| Died |
January 15, 1759 (aged 84) Rome, Papal States |
| Buried | Santa Maria della Scala |
| Previous post |
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| Sainthood | |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Title as Saint | Servant of God |
| Ordination history of Giovanni Antonio Guadagni | |
|---|---|
Priestly ordination | |
| Date of ordination | 11 March 1702 |
| Place of ordination | Florence |
Episcopal consecration | |
| Principal consecrator | Lorenzo Corsini |
| Co-consecrators |
Pier Luigi Carafa (Larissa in Thessalia) Filippo Carlo Spada (Pesaro) |
| Date of consecration | 31 December 1724 |
| Place of consecration | Santa Maria della Scala, Rome |
Cardinalate | |
| Elevated by | Pope Clement XII |
| Date of elevation | 24 September 1731 |
Bishops consecrated by Giovanni Antonio Guadagni as principal consecrator | |
| Severino Antonio Missini | 22 June 1732 |
| Gaetano Calvani | 11 April 1734 |
| Giacomo Lanfredini | 4 April 1735 |
| Francesco Gaetano Incontri | 11 May 1738 |
| Ferdinando Maria de Rossi | 2 August 1739 |
| Isidoro Pitellia | 25 July 1743 |
| Domenico Gaetano Novellucci | 25 July 1755 |
| Styles of Giovanni Antonio Guadagni | |
|---|---|
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Porto e Santa Rufina |
The Servant of God Giovanni Antonio Guadagni (14 September 1674 – 15 January 1759) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and a member of the Discalced Carmelites. He assumed the name of Giovanni Antonio di San Bernardo upon his admittance into the order. His cause of canonization has commenced and he is now known as a Servant of God.[1]
Biography
Early life and education
Giovanni Antonio Guadagni was born in 1674[2] into a wealthy noble family in Florence which was at the time under the rule of the House of Medici. His mother, Maddalena Corsini, was the sister of Pope Clement XII and his father was Donato Guadagni. He was an only child. In his youth, he studied law and received a doctorate in civil and canon law from the University of Pisa on 3 May 1696.
Priesthood, episcopate and cardinalate
Guadagni later travelled to Rome to practice law but upon his return to Florence decided to become a priest. Against the will of his parents, he entered the Order of Discalced Carmelites in Arezzo and assumed the name of Giovanni Antonio di San Bernardo. He made his profession on 1 November 1700 and would learn theology and philosophy in Florence at convents run by the order. He was ordained to the priesthood on 11 March 1702 in Florence.
Guadagni was later named the master of the novice and the provincial father for his order. It was at the request of the Grand Duke of Tuscany that he was promoted to the episcopate. Pope Benedict XIII appointed him as the Bishop of Arezzo on 20 December 1724 and he received episcopal consecration a week after in the church of Santa Maria della Scala by Lorenzo Corsini, future pope. Under his leadership, a diocesan synod was celebrated in 1730.
Pope Clement XII raised him to the cardinalate on 24 September 1731 as the Cardinal-Deacon of Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti. He took possession of the title on 30 December 1731. He was appointed to several congregations in the Roman Curia and held posts in the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars and the Congregation for Rites amongst others. In 1732 he assumed the duties as the Vicar General of Rome.
Guadagni was appointed as the Cardinal-Bishop of Frascati in 1750 and also became the Vice Dean of the College of Cardinals. He became the Cardinal-Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina in 1756.[3] in 1756 he was transferred to the see of porto Santa Rufina. Guadagni was also named subdean of the college of the cardinals.
Death and cause of beatification
He died in Rome in 1759 and was buried in the church of Santa Maria della Scala in the tomb that he had constructed for himself. He also composed the inscription that was placed on the tomb.
Reputed for his holiness and said to have been buried with the odor of saintliness, his cause of beatification commenced under Pope Pius XII on 27 November 1940 with the late cardinal being granted the title of Servant of God.