Alfonso Visconti was born in
Milan in 1552. He was the son of Count Annibale, a member of the
Saliceto branch of the noble family of
Visconti, and of Lucia Sauli of
Genoa. He graduated in
utroque iure in the
University of Pavia and he moved to
Rome. He was ordained a priest in 1575, and two years later he entered in the
Oratory of Saint Philip Neri. His first important step in the ecclesiastical career was the appointment as
referendary of the Tribunals of the
Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace.
Diplomat Pope Gregory XIII appointed him on 14 May 1584
Apostolic Nuncio to Portugal (with the title of
Collector), an office he kept until 22 February 1586 when the Pope sent him vice-legate before
Archduke Albert of Austria, ruler of the
Habsburg Netherlands. When he returned to Rome, he was appointed Auditor of the
Apostolic Camera by
Pope Sixtus V. The new
Pope Gregory XIV, a distant relative, on 15 April 1489 appointed Alfonso as
Apostolic Nuncio to the Emperor, and already on 4 July of that year he arrived in
Prague where Emperor
Rudolf II kept his court. As Nuncio, Alfonso tried without success to persuade the Emperor to appoint the
Archduke Ernest of Austria as successor, and in 1590 he tried to quickly find a successor to the Archbishop of Prague, while this diocese, important for the fight against the Protestants, remained vacant for three years. He remained Nuncio to the Emperor up to 22 April 1591. Pope Gregory XIV made him
Bishop of Cervia on 8 February 1591 with the idea of sending him as Nuncio in Spain. He left Prague on 1 July 1591 and on the way back to Italy he was consecrated
Bishop in
Salzburg on 14 July by
Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau. The sudden death of Pope Gregory XIV did not allow him to go to Spain, but he obtained some offices in the administration of the
Papal States, being appointed Governor of the
conclaves of
1591 and
1592 (and in the meantime also Governor of
Borgo in Rome), and Governor of
Ascoli Piceno,
Norcia and of
Montalto on 5 February 1592. In 1595 the Pope entrusted him of the important diplomatic mission to the
Prince of Transylvania Sigismund Báthory, in order to strengthen the
Holy League organised by the Pope against the
Ottoman Empire. Following the instructions of the Pope, Alfonso urged Sigismund Báthory to reconcile himself with the Emperor Rudolf II, and supported his
cavalry with huge amounts of money. Before returning to Italy, Alfonso visited the King of Poland
Sigismund III Vasa.
Cardinal Pope Clement VIII elevated him to the dignity of cardinal in the consistory of 3 March 1599. Initially appointed as
cardinal priest of the
Titular church of
San Giovanni a Porta Latina, on 24 January 1600 until he was appointed cardinal priest of
San Sisto Vecchio. From 10 September 1601 until his death, Alfonso Visconti served as
Bishop of Spoleto and from 1604 to 1607 as Cardinal Protector for the Austrian hereditary lands. Cardinal Visconti participated in the two conclaves of
March 1605 and
May 1605, where he had several bones broken during an altercation. On 23 October 1606 he was made Legate (i.e. Governor) of the
Marche region, based in the town of
Macerata, where he fought the bandits present in the
Apennine Mountains. He died in Macerata on 19 September 1608 and he was buried in the
Basilica of Loreto. ==References==