Decio Cardinale Azzolino Secretario Di Stato Della Santita Di Papa Clemente Nono. ( Original Antique Engraving From Historia Di Leopoldo Cesare, Continente Le Cose Piu Memorabili Successe In Europa, Dal 1656 Fino Al 1670.

[Circa 1670-1674]: Giovanni. Battista Hacque/ Hacque, Johann Baptist (?), 1670. 1st Edition 1st Printing. No Binding. Very Good. Original Engraving, Circa 1670 (But Annotated In Pencil 1663), Unsigned. Apparently A Leaf From A Collection Of Portraits. Part Of A Large Collection Of Original Antique Engravings Formed By A Southern California Artist In The Early To Middle Twentieth Century. Each Plate Has Small Glue Marks On Reverse Where They Were Tipped In To An Album. Decio Azzolino (1623 - 1689) Was An Italian Catholic Cardinal, Code-Breaker, Investigator And Leader Of The Squadrone Volante. He Was The Great-Nephew Of Cardinal Decio Azzolino, The Elder And Is Thus Often Referred To As Cardinal Decio Azzolino, The Younger. He Received Doctorates In Philosophy, Law And Theology From The University Of Fermo. Azzolino Was A Skilled Cryptographer, Responsible For Cracking Ciphers Used In Correspondence. He Was Also An Able Investigator. When The Kingdom Of Naples Was Made Aware Of Invasion Plans By Henry Ii, Duke Of Guise, It Was Azzolino Who (In February 1654) Concluded That The Breach Must Have Come From Camillo Astalli, The Pope's Cardinal-Nephew. Though Likely Accurate, His Conclusion Was Convenient - Astalli Was A Rival For Power To Azzolino's Own Patron, Olimpia Maidalchini.. Later In 1654, Because Of This Service He Rendered To The Pope, Azzolino Was Himself Elevated To Cardinal.He Participated In The Papal Conclave Of 1655 Which Elected Pope Alexander Vii. Azzolino Was The Leader Of The Independent Liberal Movement Squadrone Volante Which Played A Role In Engineering The Result Of The Conclave In Favour Of An Anti-Nepotism Candidate. Azzolino's Squadrone Is Also Thought To Have Engineered The Election Of Giulio Rospigliosi As Pope Clement Ix At The Papal Conclave Of 1667. Rospigliosi, Who Had Been Cardinal Secretary Of State Rewarded Azzolino By Immediately Appointing Him To The Position. Azzolino Was Appointed Queen Christina Of Sweden's Representative Within The Catholic Church. It Is Certain He Looked After Her Financial Businesses. Some Have Speculated That He And Christina Were In Love With One Another. Bargrave, Again, Suggested That Azzolino Was Sent To Romania By Pope Alexander In Order To Avoid Public Perception That A Relationship Was Ongoing. In July 1659 She Moved To Trastevere. It Was Cardinal Azzolino Who Signed The Contract, As Well As Provided Her With New Servants To Replace Francesco Maria Santinelli, Who Had Been Monaldeschi's Executioner. Azzolino Ensured That She Was Reconciled With The Pope, And That The Latter Granted Her A Pension. Christina Wrote Him Many Letters During Her Travels. On 26 January 1667 Christina Wrote (In French) That She Would Never Offend God Or Give Azzolino Reason To Take Offence, But This "Does Not Prevent Me From Loving You Until Death, And Since Piety Relieves You From Being My Lover, Then I Relieve You From Being My Servant, For I Shall Live And Die As Your Slave". Keeping Up The Celibacy His Replies Were More Reserved. Cardinal Azzolino Stayed At Her Side Until She Died On 19 April 1689. Azzolino Burnt Most Of Their Correspondence; About 80 Letters Have Survived. Some Details Were Written In A Code That Was Decrypted By Carl Bildt, In Rome Around 1900. ]Azzolino Inherited Her Important Art Collection, Including Correggio's Danaë And Two Versions Of Titian's Venus And Adonis (Probably The "Lausanne" And Getty Versions). His Sole Heirrapidly Sold Off Christina's Art Collections, Much Of Which Later Formed The Core Of The Orleans Collection.