The story of the famous/infamous Cardinal Nicolò Coscia, a meteor-character of the first half of the eighteenth century, represents a typical case of meteoric social ascension in the ecclesiastical world. A pupil of Cardinal Vincenzo Maria Orsini, who was first Archbishop of Benevento (1686-1724) and later Pope with the name of Benedict XIII (1724-1730), Coscia pursued an extraordinary career, first in the diocese of Benevento and then at the Roman Curia. At the head of a power group defined as the “party of the Beneventani”, Coscia embodies the alter ego of Orsini, considered guilty of exercising a bad influence on the Pope. He aims to build personal and family power creating a considerable patrimony and the social elevation of his family for which he plans the promotion from the rank of the urban patriciate, recently acquired, to entry into the prestigious feudal nobility of the Kingdom of Naples, achieved in 1727 thanks to the support of the government during the Austrian viceroyalty. The well-known judicial tragedy that overwhelms Cardinal Coscia upon the death of his protector Benedict XIII, beyond the committed crimes, represents the revenge of his adversaries both in the Papal Curia and in the city of Benevento. The historiography is articulated in an almost "dichotomous" manner between a production that highlights the negativity of Coscia's action and a local production, tending to diminish the guilt of the cardinal and of the infamous “party of the Beneventani”. The role of this Pope’s Favourite is set in the unstable age of the Wars of Succession, between the questions of international politics, the conflictual relations between the European courts and the difficult geopolitical settlement of the Italian peninsula. The parable of Coscia offers interesting reflections on the factions as instruments of ascension, but also of collapse, and on the precarious influence of patronage and protection. At the same time, it reveals the weakness of the parvenu status that largely determines the sudden oblivion of the Cardinal and the lack of aristocratic rooting for him and his lineage.
La vicenda del famoso/famigerato cardinale Nicolò Coscia, personaggio-meteora della prima metà del Settecento, rappresenta un tipico caso di ascesa sociale fulminea in ambito ecclesiastico. Pupillo del cardinale Vincenzo Maria Orsini, che sarà prima arcivescovo di Benevento (1686-1724) e in seguito papa col nome di Benedetto XIII (1724-1730), il Coscia percorre una straordinaria carriera, prima nella diocesi beneventana poi presso la Curia romana Alla guida di un gruppo di potere sprezzantemente definito come il “partito dei beneventani”, Coscia incarna l’alter ego di Orsini, ritenuto colpevole di esercitare una cattiva influenza sul papa. Egli mira a costruire un potere personale e familiare, puntando alla costituzione di un cospicuo patrimonio e all’elevazione sociale della sua famiglia per la quale progetta la promozione dal rango del patriziato urbano, recentemente acquisito, all’ingresso nella prestigiosa nobiltà feudale del Regno di Napoli, conseguita nel 1727 grazie all’appoggio del governo durante il viceregno austriaco. La nota tragedia giudiziaria che travolge il cardinale Coscia alla morte del suo protettore Benedetto XIII, al di là dell’accertamento dei reati commessi, rappresenta la rivincita dei suoi avversari sia presso la Curia romana, sia in ambito cittadino beneventano. La storiografia sul tema si articola in maniera quasi “dicotomica” tra una produzione che evidenzia le negatività dell’operato del Coscia e lavori di matrice locale, tendenti a sminuire le colpe del cardinale e del famigerato partito beneventano. L’azione di questo favorito si colloca nell’instabile età delle guerre di successione, tra le questioni aperte di politica internazionale, i conflittuali rapporti tra le corti europee e il difficile assestamento geopolitico della penisola italiana. La parabola del Coscia offre riflessioni interessanti sull’analisi delle fazioni come strumenti di ascesa, ma anche di crollo, e sull’influenza precaria di patronage e protezioni. Allo stesso tempo, rivela la debolezza dello status di parvenu che determina in gran parte il repentino oblio del personaggio e il mancato radicamento aristocratico per lui e la sua stirpe.
Fortune e oblio all’ombra della tiara: la parabola del cardinale Nicolò Coscia nella Curia di papa Orsini
Maria Anna Noto
2024
Abstract
The story of the famous/infamous Cardinal Nicolò Coscia, a meteor-character of the first half of the eighteenth century, represents a typical case of meteoric social ascension in the ecclesiastical world. A pupil of Cardinal Vincenzo Maria Orsini, who was first Archbishop of Benevento (1686-1724) and later Pope with the name of Benedict XIII (1724-1730), Coscia pursued an extraordinary career, first in the diocese of Benevento and then at the Roman Curia. At the head of a power group defined as the “party of the Beneventani”, Coscia embodies the alter ego of Orsini, considered guilty of exercising a bad influence on the Pope. He aims to build personal and family power creating a considerable patrimony and the social elevation of his family for which he plans the promotion from the rank of the urban patriciate, recently acquired, to entry into the prestigious feudal nobility of the Kingdom of Naples, achieved in 1727 thanks to the support of the government during the Austrian viceroyalty. The well-known judicial tragedy that overwhelms Cardinal Coscia upon the death of his protector Benedict XIII, beyond the committed crimes, represents the revenge of his adversaries both in the Papal Curia and in the city of Benevento. The historiography is articulated in an almost "dichotomous" manner between a production that highlights the negativity of Coscia's action and a local production, tending to diminish the guilt of the cardinal and of the infamous “party of the Beneventani”. The role of this Pope’s Favourite is set in the unstable age of the Wars of Succession, between the questions of international politics, the conflictual relations between the European courts and the difficult geopolitical settlement of the Italian peninsula. The parable of Coscia offers interesting reflections on the factions as instruments of ascension, but also of collapse, and on the precarious influence of patronage and protection. At the same time, it reveals the weakness of the parvenu status that largely determines the sudden oblivion of the Cardinal and the lack of aristocratic rooting for him and his lineage.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
