Federico Sforza

His Eminence Federico Sforza
Cardinal Bishop of Tivoli
Sforza painted by Nicolas Mignard, c. 1641
Church	Catholic Church
Diocese	Tivoli
Installed	28 January 1675
Term ended	24 May 1676
Other post(s)	Cardinal-priest of San Pietro in Vincoli 1661-1676
Previous post(s)	Cardinal-priest of Sant'Anastasia 1659-1661 Cardinal-priest of Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti 1656-1659 Bishop of Rimini 1646-1656 Cardinal-deacon of Santi Vito, Modesto e Crescenzia 1645-1656
Orders
Ordination	22 December 1646 by Pier Luigi Carafa (seniore)
Consecration	30 December 1646 by Pier Luigi Carafa (seniore)
Created cardinal	6 March 1645 by Pope Innocent X
Rank	Cardinal-priest
Personal details
Born	20 January 1603 Rome, Papal States
Died	24 May 1676 (aged 73) Rome, Papal States

Federico Sforza (20 January 1603 – 24 May 1676) was an Italian Catholic cardinal.

Biography

Sforza was born in 1603, the son of Alessandro Sforza, 7th Count of Santa Fiora, Duke of Segni and Prince of Valmontone - and Eleonora Orsini.^[1]

In 1623 he became protonotary apostolic participante. In 1625 he was appointed governor of Terni and then of Cesena until 1626. Later he served as vice-legate in Avignon between 1637 and 1645.

Pope Innocent X, elected in 1644 and concerned that so noble a house as Sforza should go without a cardinal, decided Federico Sforza should "wear the purple".^[2] And so, Sforza was asked to return to Rome by Pope Innocent who elevated him to cardinal in 1645^[3] and appointed him bishop of Rimini where he served for 11 years before resigning in 1656.

He participated in the conclave of 1655 which elected Pope Alexander VII and was later elected camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals 1659 until 1660. He participated in the conclave of 1667 which elected Pope Clement IX and the conclave of 1669-1670 which elected Pope Clement X.

In 1675 he was elected bishop of Tivoli but died on 24 May of the following year.^[3]

References

1. Miranda, Salvador. "SFORZA, Federico (1603-1676)". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Florida International University. OCLC 53276621.
2. Pope Alexander the Seventh and the College of Cardinals by John Bargrave, edited by James Craigie Robertson (reprint; 2009)
3. Cheney, David M. "Federico Cardinal Sforza". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved January 3, 2019. ^{[self-published]}