Alessandro Riario (1543–1585) was anItalianRoman Catholicbishop andcardinal.
AlessandroRiario was born inBologna on 3 December 1543, the son ofpatriciansPalatineCount Giulio Riario, and Isabella Pepoli.[1] He was related by marriage toPope Gregory XIII.[1] He was educated at theUniversity of Padua and then at theUniversity of Bologna, becoming adoctor of both laws on 11 May 1563.[1]
As a young man, he moved toRome where he became aprotonotary apostolic and aReferendary of theApostolic Signatura.[1]Pope Pius IV made him adomestic prelate.[1] On 1 May 1562 he became secretary apostolic.[1] He served asauditor general of the Apostolic Signatura from 3 April 1565 to 1578.[1]
On 8 November 1570 he was electedTitular Patriarch of Alexandria.[1] He accompanied CardinalMichele Bonelli in 1571 on hislegation toSpain, theKingdom of Portugal, and theKingdom of France designed to promote a league against theOttoman Empire.[1] Riario wasconsecrated as a bishop in theSistine Chapel on 24 August 1572 by CardinalBenedetto Lomellini assisted byAntonio Elio,Titular Patriarch of Jerusalem, andGiovanni Ambrosio Fieschi,Bishop of Savona.[1]
Pope Gregory XIII made him acardinal priest in theconsistory of 21 February 1578.[1][2] He received thered hat and thetitular church ofSanta Maria in Aracoeli on 3 March 1578.[1] Along with CardinalFrancesco Crasso and otherprelates, he was charged with reforming theRoman Curia.[1] On 23 March 1580 he was namedlegatea latere beforePhilip II of Spain.[1] He becamePrefect of the Apostolic Signatura in May 1581.[1] He became legatea latere to theKingdom of Portugal on 25 October 1581 and served as legatea latere inPerugia andUmbria from 25 October 1581 to 1583.[1] He participated in thepapal conclave of 1585 that electedPope Sixtus V.[1]
He died in Rome on 18 July 1585.[1] He was initially buried inSanti Apostoli.[1] His remains were later transferred to Bologna and buried in the Church of San Giacomo.[1]
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