ANTONELLI, GIACOMO (1806-1876), Italian cardinal, was born at Sonnino April 2 1806. Created cardinal (June i t 1847), he was chosen by Pius IX. to preside over the council of state entrusted with the drafting of the constitution. On March 10 1848, Antonelli became premier of the first constitutional ministry of Pius IX. Upon the fall of his cabinet Antonelli cre ated for himself the governorship of the sacred palaces in order to retain constant access to and influence over the pope. After the assassination of Pellegrino Rossi (Nov. 15 1848), he arranged the flight of Pius IX. to Gaeta, where he was appointed secretary of State. Notwithstanding promises to the powers, he restored absolute government upon returning to Rome (April 12 1850) and violated the conditions of the surrender by wholesale imprison ment of Liberals. In 1855 he narrowly escaped assassination. As ally of the Bourbons of Naples, from whom he had received an annual subsidy, he attempted, after 186o, to facilitate their resto ration by fomenting brigandage on the Neapolitan frontier. To the overtures of Ricasoli (q.v.) in 1861, Pius IX., at Antonelli's suggestion, replied with the famous "Non possumus," but subse quently (1867) accepted, too late, Ricasoli's proposal concerning ecclesiastical property. After the September Convention (1864) Antonelli organized the legion of Antibes to replace French troops in Rome, and in 1867 secured French aid against Garibaldi's inva sion of papal territory. Upon the reoccupation of Rome by the French after Mentana (1867), Antonelli again ruled supreme, but upon the entry of the Italians in 187o was obliged to restrict his activity to the management of foreign relations. He wrote, with papal approval, the letter requesting the Italians to occupy the Leonine city; i.e., the district of Rome in which the Vatican is situated, and obtained from the Italians payment of the Peter's pence (5,000,000 lire) remaining in the papal exchequer, as well as 5o,000 scudi—the first and only instalment of the Italian allowance (subsequently fixed by the Law of Guarantees, March 21 1871) ever accepted by the Holy See. At Antonelli's death (Nov. 6 1876) the Vatican finances were found to be in disorder, with a deficit of 45,000,000 lire. His activity was devoted almost exclusively to the struggle between the papacy and the Italian Risorgimento, the history of which is comprehensible only when his unscrupulous influence is fully taken into account.