Giulio Roma

Who was Giulio Roma?

Giulio Roma was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Bishop of Recanati and Loreto.

Roma was born 16 September 1584, in Milan, one of 16 children born to noble parents and was educated at the University of Pavia and the University of Perugia

At a young age he became a chamberlain to Cardinal Federico Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan. Thereafter he went to Rome and had an audience with Pope Paul V, who asked him to move to Rome and named him a consistorial lawyer in 1607. He was named Governor of Orvieto in 1618 then Governor of Camerino in 1619 and Governor of Perugia in 1619 where he stayed until 1621 until he was elevated to cardinal on 11 January. He was installed as Cardinal-Priest at the Basilica of Saint Mary Above Minerva.

In 1621 he was ordained Bishop of Recanati and Loreto; a position he held until his death. He participated in the papal conclaves of 1621 and Papal conclave, 1623. In 1634 he was appointed Bishop of Tivoli, where he rebuilt the cathedral, and was responsible for commissioning the reconstruction of Alba Cathedral. In 1639 he was appointed Cardinal-Priest at the Basilica of Santa Prassede.

He opted for an appointment as Cardinal-Bishop of Frascati in July 1644 but within months Pope Urban VIII was dead and a new Pope was required. He participated in the Papal conclave of 1644 and the following year he was appointed Cardinal-Bishop of Porto-Santa Rufina.