He was the nephew of Cardinal Carlo Emanuele Pio di Savoia.

Thereafter he joined the army of the Duke of Ferrara as a colonel but was captured by the Florentines in Moncessino.

Two years later he bought a position (as was the custom) as personal treasurer to Pope Innocent X.

[1] On 2 March 1654 he was elevated to cardinal by Pope Innocent and was appointed Cardinal-deacon of the church of Santa Maria in Domnica.

Over the subsequent two decades he was appointed to various churches as Cardinal-deacon and Cardinal-priest including:[2] Between 1673 and his death in 1689, he served as Cardinal-protector of Austria.