Carlo Rossetti

At the age of eighteen he engaged in a public disputation (i.e. took his Bacculaureate) in philosophy and theology, in the presence of Cardinal Francesco Barberini, the nephew of Pope Urban VIII.

[2] Cardinal Barberini sang his praises to Pope Urban VIII, who appointed him a prelate and referendary of the Two Signatures (Grace and Justice); this gave Rossetti the right to practice law before the Roman courts.

[4] The Barberini were impressed by his vigour, wit and discernment and sent him as nuncio first to Germany, then to England as successor to the papal agent, George Con, who was gravely ill.

[5] His mission was undertaken under a transparent disguise, as one Italian historian recalled:[6] There arrived, at London to reside at the court as a gentleman traveller, sent by Cardinal Barberini, but effectively he was the Pope's nuncio, by name Charles Rossetti, an earl by birth who had taken upon him the church habit of a prelate; who was of a great spirit, active and prudent, able to undertake business of the greatest difficulty.

He was valorous of heart, had a learned tongue, was quick in parts; in brief, he was such and one that his fellow could not be found in all the Court of Rome.Rossetti's mission was considered especially dangerous, given the conflict between the Church and England at the time.

Charles' Queen, Henrietta Maria, saw Rossetti's position at court as potentially advantageous and, having developed a social relationship with the clandestine nobleman, urged the prelate to write to the uncle of his Barberini patrons, Pope Urban VIII, asking for the equivalent of £100,000 pounds sterling to aid England's ailing coffers.

Rossetti had been dispatched, with the title of Nuncio Extraordinary, to the Congress of Münster, where an effort to find a solution to the Thirty Years' War was being attempted.

[15] In September 1643, Rossetti was named Legatus a latere and sent as ambassador to Cologne, but he was recalled next year, due to the grave illness of the Pope.

Despite his understandable support for the French nominee, Giulio Cesare Sacchetti, Rossetti suffered no ill effects when Giovanni Battista Pamphili took office as Pope Innocent X.

On 18 August 1653 Rossetti was translated (moved) to the titulus of Santa Maria in Via Lata, and then on 9 March 1654 to San Silvestro in Capite.

Elci's candidacy failed, however, in the face of determined opposition, and Cardinal Giulio Rospigliosi was elected as Pope Clement XI with the support of the Barberini faction.