Joachim-Jean-Xavier d'Isoard

Joachim-Jean-Xavier d'Isoard (23 October 1766 – 7 October 1839) was a French bishop and cardinal.

Biography He was born in Aix-en-Provence to a noble family as the younger of two brothers. His father died early and he was sent to the minor seminary of Aix, where he became friends with Joseph Fesch, the uncle of Napoleon Bonaparte, During the Reign of Terror, he sought asylum in Italy at the court of future Louis XVIII in 1794, but returned to France in the same year. After the coup of 18 Fructidor, he was again forced to flee to Italy.

France occupied and annexed the Papal States in 1809 and took Pius VII as their prisoner, exiling him. D'Isoard followed the pope into French exile and refused several offices Napoleon offered him, including that of a senator. He was created a cardinal by Pope Leo XII in the consistory of June 25, 1827 and became cardinal-priest of S. Pietro in Vincoli.

He was chosen as archbishop of the archdiocese of Auch in south-western France in 1828, and ordained a bishop on January 11, 1829, in Paris by Cardinal Jean-Baptiste de Latil, archbishop of Reims. He was appointed pair of France by Charles X on 24 Jan 1829 and known to be a monarchist. He travelled to Paris prior to taking office in Lyon, and died there on 7 October 1839, of a thorax inflammation. He was buried in the cathedral of Auch.