Ciriaco Rocci

Who is Ciriaco Rocci?

Ciriaco Rocci was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and papal nuncio to Switzerland, Austria and Cologne.

Rocci was born in 1581 in Rome and studied literature before entering the service of the church.

In 1628 he was appointed Latin Archbishop of Patras and later that year he was sent to Switzerland by Pope Urban VIII as an apostolic nuncio. In 1629 he returned to Rome and was elevated to cardinal in pectore. That same year, Rocci came into possession of one part of the Villa Muti which had been divided upon the death of his uncle Cardinal Pompeo Arrigoni.

His elevation to cardinal was not revealed until 1633, prior to which he was appointed as nuncio first to Austria then Germany. After revelation of his cardinalate, he returned to Rome and was appointed Cardinal-Priest of San Salvatore in Lauro. He participated in the Papal conclave of 1644 which elected Pope Innocent X and between 1646 and 1647 he was appointed Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals.

Rocci died on 25 September 1651.