Giulio Maria della Somaglia

Giulio Maria della Somaglia (29 July 1744 – 2 April 1830) was an Italian cardinal. He was — at least in his later life — a staunch zelante cardinal who, as Secretary of State under Pope Leo XII, helped enforce an authoritarian regime in the crumbling Papal States.

His Eminence Giulio Maria della Somaglia Cardinal, Patriarch of Antioch
See	Antioch
Installed	1 June 1795
Other posts	Secretary of the Inquisition, Bishop of Ostia and Dean of the College of Cardinals
Orders
Ordination	1787
Consecration	21 December 1788 Hyacinthe-Sigismond Gerdil
Created cardinal	1 June 1795
Rank	Cardinal Priest
Personal details
Born	(1744-07-29)29 July 1744 Piacenza, Italy
Died	2 April 1830(1830-04-02) (aged 85)

Styles of Giulio Maria della Somaglia
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Antioch

Born in Piacenza into a noble family, della Somaglia was sent to Rome at the young age of twelve and at the Collegio Nazzareno and La Sapienza University acquired degrees in both canon and civil law. In 1769 he became domestic prelate of Pope Clement XIV and under Pope Pius VI he was secretary to numerous curial congregations between 1773 and 1787. Although he was only ordained to the priesthood in 1787, he became titular Patriarch of Antioch the following year and on 1 June 1795 became a cardinal.

In his years as a cardinal della Somaglia played an important role as a negotiator with the revolutionary regime in France. Although he undoubtedly agreed with Pius VI's 1791 condemnation of the French Revolution and was expelled from Rome when Napoleon's army invaded in 1808, he was charged with the examination of the concordat with France several years later and this role actually served to taint della Somaglia's reputation in the eyes of fellow zelanti cardinals. From 1814 he was Secretary of the Inquisition and Dean of the College of Cardinals in 1820.

In the 1823 conclave, della Somaglia was considered papabile. In 1826 he resigned the post of Secretary of State but continued as Secretary of the Inquisition until his death in 1830. When he died, della Somaglia was the last cardinal still alive elevated by Pius VI.