Alessandro Albani

Alessandro Albani (* October 15, 1692 in Urbino, Italy, † December 11, 1779 in Rome ) was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church.

Pope Innocent XIII. appointed Alessandro Albani, who had until then received no Harriers, in February 1721 a cardinal. He was assigned as the title Diakonia Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Only after the elevation to cardinal, he was ordained a subdeacon. 1741, he was cardinal deacon of Sant'Agata dei Goti, but kept in commendam his old title diakonia. In 1747 he moved finally to the title of Santa Maria in Via Lata diakonia. He participated in the conclave of 1724, Pope Benedict XIII. chose the conclave of 1730, which Pope Clement XII. certain, as the conclave of 1740 that elected Pope Benedict XIV, continue the conclave of 1758, Pope Clement XIII. raised to the chair of Peter, and finally the conclave of 1769, which cast his vote for Pope Clement XIV.

Albani came from an Italian family, whose ancestors had immigrated in the 14th century in Albania, from where the surname move. This family has come more Cardinals ( Gian Girolamo Albani, Annibale Albani, Gian Francesco Albani and Giuseppe Albani ) and Pope Clement XI.

Albani was particularly interested in art and built in 1760 the Villa Albani in Rome, in which he collected Greek and Roman art. To finance the villa he had to sell a part of his extensive collection, which is today in the Capitoline Museums. The artistic design of the Villa Albani was made by Johann Joachim Winckelmann and Anton Raphael Mengs. He was a member of the Accademia Etrusca.