Olimpia Maidalchini, princess of San Martino al Cimino

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• Olimpia Maidalchini (born on May 26, 1591[1] – died on September 27, 1657), also spelled Olympia and known as Donna Olimpia, was the sister-in-law of Pope Innocent X (Pamphili) (1644–1655).

Early life

• Maidalchini was born in Viterbo, daughter of Sforza Maidalchini, a condottiere, and Vittoria Gualterio, patrician of Orvieto and Rome, noble of Viterbo (illegitimate daughter of Sebastiano Gualterio, Bishop of Viterbo, Papal Nuncio to France and the Council of Trent). Her family was only moderately wealthy, but she married two wealthy men. Her first lasted only a year or two, with Paolo Nini, one of the wealthiest men in Viterbo, but he died prematurely. Her second marriage was with Pamphilio Pamphilj, brother of Cardinal Giambattista, the future Pope Innocent X.

Influence

• After Pamphilio's death, she became Innocent X's effective advisor. The pope elevated to the office of Cardinal Nephew the son, nephew and cousin of Olimpia Maidalchini: Camillo Francesco Maria Pamphilj, Francesco Maidalchini, and Camillo Astalli, respectively.[2][3] On November 14, 1644, Innocent X made Camillo Pamphilj cardinal-nephew, general of the church, legate to Avignon, secretary of briefs, and prefect of the judicial tribunal known as the Segnatura di Giustizia; Camillo Pamphilj de facto shared the role of Cardinal Secretary of State with Giovanni Giacomo Panciroli.[3] However, on January 21, 1647, Camillo renounced the cardinalate to marry Olimpia Aldobrandini, the grand-niece of Pope Clement VIII and widow of Paolo Borghese, on February 10.[3] Donna Olimpia Maidalchini is a woman of great spirit, but her sole title to influence is that of a rigid economist. When offices fell vacant at court, nothing was decided without her good pleasure; when church livings were to be distributed, the ministers of the dataria had orders to defer all appointments until, notice having been given to her of the nature of those benefices, she might then select such as best pleased her for her own disposal; if episcopal sees were to be conferred, it was to her that the candidates applied; and that which most effectually revolted every upright mind was to see that those were preferred who were most liberal in giving. Cavalier Giustiniani, 1652
• Afterwards, Innocent X promoted Francesco Maidalchini, the cousin of Olimpia Maidalchini, to replace Camillo Pamphilj, but Francesco was viewed as incompetent and his appointment as disgraceful.Thereafter, Innocent X adopted Camillo Astalli, and gave him the prerogatives of the cardinal-nephew on September 19, 1650, including the Palazzo Pamphilj.[4] However, Olimpia had Astalli deposed and sent away from Rome, making herself the "absolute mistress in the house".

Titles

• Like other Popes of the same era, Pope Innocent X, as Monarch of the Papal States, bestowed royal titles on some of his closest confidants and family. On 7 October 1645, Maidalchini received the honourific title, Princess of San Martino, effectively turning the small enclave of San Martino al Cimino into her personal principality. The title came with no more power or responsibility than that which she already held as Pamphilj matriarch.

Decline

• Maidalchini's influence waned after Innocent X recalled Fabio Chigi from Germany, made him secretary of state and subsequently a cardinal on February 10, 1652; Chigi succeeded Innocent X as Pope Alexander VII.
• According to papal historian Ludwig von Pastor, "the misfortune of Pope Pamphilj was that the only person in his family who would have had the qualities necessary to fill such a position was a woman."

Legacy

• Maidalchini's reputation can be seen in her unflattering bust by Alessandro Algardi (circa 1650), currently in the Doria Pamphilj Gallery. Maidalchini was notorious for guarding access to Innocent X, and utilizing it to her own financial benefit. Her wired widow's hood in the bust was interpreted by Ann Sutherland[5] as a jab at the fact that neither Maidalchini nor her family provided for the burial of Innocent X after his death in 1655, which was paid for by Innocent X's former butler.
• Eleanor Herman says that Olimpia locked the Pope alone in his chamber on the night from December 26 to December 27 and she went to her palace in fear that the Pope died that night and that her palace was sacked and burned.: The morning of the 27, she was barred access to Innocent X's chamber, much to her chagrin since she was expecting to steal the two chests full of gold that were hidden under Innocent's bed.:362 Right after Innocent's body was removed on December 29, she entered the chamber, she removed the chests, and she ran to her palace to lock herself in fear of what angry mobs could do to her.:364 Olimpia, and many other people, removed papal treasures from the papal palace during the convalescence of Innocent, to the point where he died in absolute poverty since everything had already been stolen from him by his last days of life.:362-364 Olimpia allowed the pontiff's body to stay unburied for three days, and to be buried in "the simplest of forms imaginable". claiming that she was a poor widow that couldn't arrange a proper burial.
• Some historians describe Innocent X as "entirely under the control" of Maidalchini. This legacy is tied up in the accounts of the Roman Pasquinade as well as French (Innocent X had shunned France in favor of Spain and Protestant sources.The Catholic Encyclopedia refers to Maidalchini as the "great blemish" on the pontificate of the "blameless" Innocent X, whom it styles a "lover of justice." Maidalchini is sometimes referred to as "the papessa" ("lady pope"), a variant of a title also applied to Pasqualina Lehnert (confidant of Pope Pius XII), and (the legendary) Pope Joan. Some sources even allege that Maidalchini was Innocent X's lover, an accusation which goes back to Gregorio Leti's Vita di Donna Olimpia Maidalchini (1666), written under the pseudonym Gualdus,and that she poisoned cardinals (with the help of her pharmacist, Exili) to open up additional vacancies for simony. German historian Leopold von Ranke concluded that she was not Innocent X's lover.