He was born in 1712, the son of Carlo Francesco Agostino, conte di Sale e di Vinovo, the illegitimate son of
Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy. In his youth, he became a soldier and started a military career in the army of the
Kingdom of Sardinia, but in 1730 he decided to follow the ecclesiastic career, studying at the
Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. Ordained as priest in 1736, he did his pastoral work in
Turin as spiritual assistant of young people and university students. In 1743, he was named
commendatory abbot of
San Giusto di
Susa, and then of the
Lucedio Abbey. In 1747, he was named cardinal and
archbishop of Nicosia; two years later, he received the
commenda of the
Abbey of Fruttuaria in northern Piedmont. He presided over the marriage between
Victor Amadeus III of Savoy and
Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain. In 1775, he was named secretary of the
Congregation of the Council. He died in the
Abbey of Fruttuaria and was buried there.
Papal elections As a cardinal, Delle Lanze participated in 3 conclaves:
1758,
1769 and
1774. During the conclave of 1774, Delle Lanze was one of the
pro-Jesuit cardinals, and in the first ballots he received the highest number of votes on 25 October, but, due to the opposition of the cardinals with strong ties with the European monarchies, he was not elected as pope. ==References==