Girolamo Grimaldi-Cavalleroni

Girolamo Grimaldi-Cavalleroni (20 August 1597– 4 November 1685) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church and Archbishop of Aix.

Early life Grimaldi was born in Genoa, the son of Giacomo Grimaldi, a senator of the Republic of Genoa, and his wife Girolama di Agostino de' Mari. As a young man, he enlisted as a soldier and fought for the Holy Roman Empire in Germany during the Thirty Years' War.

Ecclesiastic career

Thereafter, he went to Rome to be educated and entered the Church probably under the patronage of his uncle Domenico Grimaldi, Archbishop of Avignon. In 1621, he was appointed Vice-legate of Viterbo and in 1626, on the death of Cardinal Odoardo Farnese, he became governor of the province.

He returned to Rome and Pope Urban VIII appointed him Governor of Rome from 26 April 1628 until March 1632. According to contemporary, John Bargrave, he conducted himself well as governor and was very popular with the people of Rome.

In 1648, he was named Archbishop of Aix, a position he held until his death.

His political scheming to achieve his meteoric rise has led to him being referred to as an alter ego of Cardinal Mazarin. Ironically, while never achieving the political power and fame of Mazarin, Grimaldi had been Mazarin's principal consecrator.

There is no doubt that he was very much a part of the French faction of the College of Cardinals

During his incumbency of the archbishopric over a twenty-year period, he built an episcopal palace at vast expense in the town of Puyricard, which is today known as the Château Grimaldi.

Cardinal Grimaldi-Cavalleroni died in Aix at age of 88. He is buried in the metropolitan cathedral of Aix.