Mark Sittich von Hohenems Altemps

Mark Sittich von Hohenems Altemps (1533–1595) was a German Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. The addition of Altemps to the family name reflects Alt-Ems (or Alt-Embs) itself deriving from "Alta Embs" (Latin for "altus" = high), like the modern name Hohenems (High Ems in German).

Early years, 1533-60

Mark Sittich von Hohenems was born in Hohenems in 1533, the son of Wolf Ludwig von Hohenems and Chiara de' Medici (daughter of Bernardino de'Medici and Cecilia Serbelloni), a distant relative (or none at all) of the Florentine House of Medici. His mother was the sister of Giovanni Angelo Medici (Pope Pius IV). Her sister, Margherita, married Gilberto Borromeo, Conte d' Arona. He was the cousin of Cardinals Giovanni Antonio Serbelloni and Charles Borromeo. and Mark Sittich von Hohenems, who were both Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, in 1587-1612 and 1612–1619 respectively.

Nothing is known of any formal education he might have received. As a young man, he fought in the Italian War of 1551–1559 under the command of his uncle Giangiacopo de' Medici, one of the last of the Renaissance condottieri.

Bishop, 1560-61 His uncle Giovanni Angelo Medici was elevated to the papacy on 26 December 1559, taking the name Pius IV. He proved generous in providing benefices for his Italian and German nephews. On 23 March 1560 Mark Sittich von Hohenems became a cleric in the Apostolic Camera. and was named Administrator of the diocese until he reached the canonical age for consecration as a bishop. He was consecrated by his cousin Charles Borromeo on 17 February 1566. On 10 November 1561 he was appointed legate to the Council of Trent and, on 27 December 1561, governor of Fermo. In February 1566, he received leave to depart from Rome to Konstanz. He was also eager to introduce the Jesuits into the Diocese of Konstanz, and corresponded with the Jesuit General Francisco Borgia on the subject, though the project was long in bearing fruit. He returned to Rome to participate in the papal conclave of 1572 that elected Pope Gregory XIII.

In 1568, Marco Sittico bought a property in Rome that he immediately set about rebuilding as the Palazzo Altemps, to designs by Martino Longhi the Elder; he also built the Villa Mondragone at Frascati. He assembled a formidable collection of Roman antiquities and sculptures.

He opted for the titular church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri on 3 October 1577, for the titular church of San Pietro in Vincoli on 3 October 1578, for San Clemente on 17 August 1579 and for Santa Maria in Trastevere on 5 December 1580. Sometime before 31 July 1589 he resigned the government of the Diocese of Konstanz.