LEO XI: (1535-1605) Pope of the Roman Catholic Church in 1605. His 27 days pontificate is one of the briefest in ...

LEO XI: (1535-1605) Pope of the Roman Catholic Church in 1605. His 27 days pontificate is one of the briefest in history, lasting from first to 27th April. Born Alessandro Ottaviano De´Medici, the fourth and last member of the prominent House of Medici elected pope. He was called ''Papa Lampo'' (''Lightning pope'') for his short reign. Very rare L.S., `Il Card[ina]le di Firenze´, with two lines holograph annotation, one page, 4to, Florence, 10th June 1594, in Italian. Leo XI, in his capacity as Archbishop of Florence 1574-96, annotates at the base of a letter received the 21st May 1594, `Il vicario risponda come habbiamo scrittoli il di 10 di giugno 1594´ (''The vicar will respond as we wrote them, on the 10th June 1594''). The letter was sent to the future Pope by friar Adamo Vidali, from the Santa Maria Maggiore church in Florence, asking the approval to `…si contenta di fare al nostro convento questo favore, di dare il pulpito di S[an]ta Maria del Fiore, per questo avvento prossimo, al nostro pa[dre] m[aest]ro Cornelio Guarguanti…´ (''If you admit to do our convent this favour, to give the pulpit of Santa Maria del Fiore, for this coming advent, to our father master Cornelio Guarguanti..'') With address leaf, bearing a paper seal affixed. Overall age wear, with minor staining, and irregularly trimmed upper and right edges, otherwise G Cornelio Guarguanti (?-1602) friar of the Carmelites order, and vice-vicar in Toscana.