[3] After the death of Peter II and the accession of his son King John V (in whose education Nuno da Cunha had played a part[4]), he was offered several more positions of political importance at Court.

He departed Lisbon on 9 May aboard a Portuguese carrack; arriving at the port of Leorne on 19 May, he received news that Cardinal Michelangelo dei Conti had already been elected pope, as Innocent XIII.

He was subsequently received in Rome with "special demonstrations of paternal benevolence" by the new Pontiff (who already knew Nuno da Cunha from his time as Apostolic Nuncio to Portugal from 1698 to 1706).

During his time in Rome, Cardinal da Cunha was occupied in several assignments with the Congregations for Bishops, for Regulars, for the Propagation of the Faith, for Rites, and for Consistorial Provisions.

[5] After his death, according to the official gazette, Cardinal da Cunha's body was dissected and embalmed by two surgeons using a new technique: the procedure took seven and a half hours.