The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church - Biographical Dictionary - Consistory of September 30, 1850

(21) 13. ROBERTI, Roberto
(1788-1867)

Birth. December 23, 1788, Monte San Giusto, archdiocese of Fermo. Of an ancient noble family. Son of Count Giovanni Roberti.

Education. (No information found).

Sacred orders. (No information found). He was never ordained a priest. Secretary of Giuseppe Bofondi, auditor of the Sacred Roman Rota and future cardinal. Aiutante di studio of Zacchia, auditor of the Sacred Roman Rota, 1829. Counselor at Secondo Turno of the civil congregation of the Apostolic Chamber, 1832-1837. Prelate referendary, November 6, 1837. Voter of the Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature of Grace, 1838. Lieutenant and vice-president of the Secondo Turno of the civil tribunal of the Apostolic Chamber, 1839-1841. Lieutenant and vice-president of the criminal tribunal of the Apostolic Chamber, 1842. Apostolic delegate in Perugia, 1843-1844. Under secretary of State for Internal Affairs, February 11, 1845. Protonotary apostolic participantium, 1845. Auditor general of the Apostolic Chamber, 1845-1849. Substitute pf the secretariat for the internal affairs of the State, 1845-1846. Minister of Grace and Justice, 1847 to March 10, 1848. Member of the Governmental Commission under Cardinal Castruccio Castracane degli Antelminelli, December 1848 to January 1849. Pro-president of Rome and its district, 1849-1850.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of September 30, 1850; received the red hat and the deaconry of S. Maria in Domnica, October 3, 1850. President of Rome and its region, 1855-1860. Secretary of Petitions and Memorials, December 17, 1859. Opted for the deaconry of S. Maria ad Martyres, March 16, 1863. He and Cardinal Giacomo Antonelli were the first cardinals who traveled by train.

Death. November 7 (1), 1867. Exposed in the church of S. Maria in Vallicella, Rome; the funeral took place on November 10, 1867 with the participation of Pope Pius IX, and buried, according to his will, in the church of Ss. Giovanni e Paolo, Rome (2).

Bibliography. "Cardinali defunti", La Gerarchia Cattolica e la Famiglia Pontificia per l'anno 1876, Roma : Tipografia dei Fratelli Monaldi, 1875, p. 128-129; Marino, Giorgio. "Il primo cardinali che viaggiò in treno." Rivista Araldica, LXII (September 1964), pp. 284-287; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi. Volumen VIII (1846-1903). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1979, pp. 11, 54 and 55; Weber, Christoph. Kardinäle und Prälaten in den letzten Jahrzehnten des Kirchenstaates : Elite-Rekrutierung, Karriere-Muster u. soziale Zusammensetzung d. kurialen Führungsschicht zur Zeit Pius' IX. (1846-1878). Stuttgart : Hiersemann, 1978. (Päpste und Papsttum; Bd. 13, I-II), II, 513, 537, 545, 566, 612, 614, 617, 619, 639 and 640.

(1) This is according to Ritzler, Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, VIII, 11, same page note 60, and 55; "Cardinali defunti", La Gerarchia Cattolica e la Famiglia Pontificia per l'anno 1876, p. 129; and Weber, Kardinäle und Prälaten in den letzten Jahrzehnten des Kirchenstaates, II, 513, say that he died on November 6, 1867.
(2) This is the text of the inscription on his funeral monument taken from Marino, "Il primo cardinali che viaggiò in treno." Rivista Araldica, LXII, p. 287: HEIC. IN. PACE. QUIESCIT. ROBERTUS JOANNIS P. ROBERTIUS. DOMO MONTE. S. IUSTI. IN. PICENO. CARDINALIS. SCIENTIA. IURIS. PONTIFICII. ET CIVILIS. PRUDENTIA. IN. REBUS. GERENDIS. PRAESTITIT. DECESS. VII. IDUS. NOV. A. MDCCCLXVII. A. N. P. M. LXXVIII. PAULUS. FRATER. COMES. CUM JOANNE. FILIO. POSUIT. VIRO AMPLISSIMO. DECORI. DOMUS. ET PATRIAE. During the restoration of the church in 1963, the casket was taken out of the crypt and placed on a cataletto of iron with the inscription LOCUS CARDINALIS ROBERTI.