Giovanni Delfino (cardinal)

Giovanni Dolfin (or Delfino) (Venice, 22 April 1617 - Udine, 20 July 1699) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and playwright.

The nephew of the other cardinal Giovanni Delfino (seniore), he was the first senator of the Venetian republic, then, after abandoning civil and religious life, after various ecclesiastical duties he was consecrated titular bishop of Tagaste on 30 Nov 1656 by Carlo Carafa della Spina, Bishop of Aversa. In 1656 Girolamo Gradenigo wanted him as coadjutor in the Patriarchate of Aquileia. He succeeded him, as patriarch, two years later.

On the request of the Republic of Venice, on 8 March 1667 Pope Alexander VII appointed him cardinal of San Salvatore in Lauro and then of the Saints Vito, Modesto and Crescenzia. He was abbot commendatore of the abbey of Rosazzo from 1668 until his death.

He participated in the conclave of 1667, that of 1669-1670, that of 1676, that of 1689 and finally that of 1691; indeed during the latter his name re-entered among those of the papabili but his election was blocked by the Spaniards who did not see favorably a Venetian on the papal throne.

While bishop, he was the principal consecrator of Alvise Sagredo, Patriarch of Venice (1678).

Plays
"Four tragedies he wrote, Cleopatra (1660), Lucrezia, Medoro and Creso, which, although not entirely exempt from the defects of the century, for the nobility of the style nonetheless and for the conduct may be the best glues from the previous age. But he never wanted them to be published. The Cleopatra was first printed in the Italian Theater of the March. Maffei. So all four came to light, but very bad and battered, in Utrecht in 1730, until a much more correct and magnificent edition was made by Comino in Padua in 1733 together with an apologetic speech of the cardinal himself in defense of his Tragedies. Six dialogues in verse of this most learned cardinal were then printed in which they appear to be very well versed in the modern philosophy of those times without completely abandoning the prejudices of the old. But their style is not 'noble and supported as in the tragedies".

He was also the author of poems, of reflections on Tacitus and Sallust, and of ten prose dialogues of scientific subject, of which only one - dedicated to astronomy - was published.

He is buried in Venice in the church of San Michele di Murano.

References

Category:17th-century cardinals
Category:17th-century Italian dramatists and playwrights
Category:1617 births
Category:1699 deaths
Category:People from Venice
Category:Cardinals (Catholic Church)