Neri Maria Corsini

Neri Maria Corsini was an Italian nobleman, a Catholic priest and cardinal and a leading patron of the arts. A scion from an old Florentine family, he began his career in the service of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany and spent much time at the European courts. After moving to Rome in In 1726, he lived with his uncle, Cardinal Lorenzo Corsini, who was elected Pope in 1730 and took the name Clement XII. His uncle appointed him as a cardinal. When the Pope became partially incapacitated, Neri Maria took on a key role in the papal reign of Clement XII. He dealt with the politics and diplomacy of the Holy See as well as in large building projects in Rome. He took measures to protect and improve the cultural heritage such as by opening the Capitoline Museums to the public in 1734.