Lelio Biscia

Lelio Biscia (15 June 1575 – 19 November 1638) was an Italian Catholic cardinal.

Early life

Biscia was born on 15 June 1575 in Rome, the second son of Bernardino Biscia and Vittoria Scapucci. Biscia's father was a minor noble and a consistorial lawyer. Biscia followed his father and received legal education before becoming a consistorial lawyer himself at the age of 20.

Ecclesiastic career

He became a referendary of the Tribunals of the Apostolic Signature of Justice and of Grace and in 1600 he purchased a position as cleric to the Apostolic Chamber. He was appointed governor of Civitavecchia for a year, between 1605 and 1606 and then again between 1609 and 1610. Soon after he was appointed dean of the Apostolic Chamber. He was also a patron of mathematician and scientist Benedetto Castelli.

Cardinalate

Biscia was elevated to cardinal by Pope Urban VIII on 19 January 1626 and was appointed cardinal-deacon of the church of Santi Vito, Modesto e Crescenzia the following month.

In 1633 he was appointed cardinal-deacon of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin and then in 1637 he was appointed cardinal-priest of Santa Maria del Popolo.

He died in Rome on 19 November 1638 after a week spent suffering severe erysipelas.