Paolo Emilio Cesi was born in
Terni,
Umbria in 1481, the eldest of twelve children born to
Roman noble Angelo Cesi from the
house of Cesi and Francesca Cardoli. His younger brother,
Federico Cesi, also became a cardinal. After finishing school, he moved to
Rome where he served as a
notary at the
Fifth Council of the Lateran, a
canon of
Santa Maria Maggiore, a
protonotary apostolic, and a regent of the
Chancery of Apostolic Briefs. He was named
cardinal deacon by
Pope Leo X in the
consistory of July 1, 1517. On July 6, 1517, he received the
red hat and the
deaconry of
San Nicola in Carcere. He participated in the
papal conclave of 1521-22 that elected
Pope Adrian VI. He was the administrator of the
see of Lund from February 6, 1520, to July 12, 1521; administrator of the
see of Sion from November 12, 1522, until September 8, 1529; and administrator of the
see of Todi from June 1, 1523, until he resigned in favor of his brother Federico. Pope Adrian VI named him one of the judges in the case against Cardinal
Francesco Soderini. He participated in the
papal conclave of 1523 that elected
Pope Clement VII. He was administrator of the
see of Narni from May 20, 1524, to June 1, 1524; administrator of the
see of Civita Castellana from April 7, 1525, until his death; and administrator of the
see of Cervia from 1525 until March 23, 1528. He lost all of his goods during the
Sack of Rome (1527). In the absence of the pope, he was governor of Rome in 1529. From October 6, 1529, until October 21, 1530, he was administrator of the
see of Massa Marittima. He opted for the deaconry of
Sant'Eustachio on September 5, 1534. Under
Pope Clement VII, he was
Prefect of the
Apostolic Signatura. He was also the
cardinal protector of the
Duchy of Savoy, and vice-protector of the
Kingdom of England and the
Kingdom of Ireland. He participated in the
papal conclave of 1534 that elected
Pope Paul III. On August 23, 1535, the new pope made him a member of the commission on reform of the
Roman Curia. He died in Rome on August 5, 1537. He is buried in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. While bishop, he was the
principal co-consecrator of
Cristoforo Numai,
Bishop of Isernia. ==See also==