Niccolò Coscia

Niccolò Coscia (1681 – 8 February 1755) was an Italian Latin Catholic cardinal.

Coscia held the effective government of the Papal States during Benedict's reign.

He took advantage of his position to commit a long series of financial abuses, causing the ruin of the Papal treasury.

According to Montesquieu, "All the money of Rome goes to Benevento... as the Beneventani direct [Benedict's] weakness".

In 1731 he was tried, excommunicated and condemned to ten years' imprisonment in Castel Sant'Angelo.