Supreme pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. Born Pietro Ottoboni. Created a cardinal by Leo X in 1652.
 
MS - Manuscript, one page, Rome, 1691. Ecclesiastical manuscript on paper – Canonization of John of Capestrano and Paschal Baylón A rare large-format manuscript, written in Latin in 1691, containing the full text of the papal bull with which Pope Alexander VIII proclaimed the blessed John of Capestrano and Paschal Baylón, central figures of Franciscan spirituality, as saints. The text faithfully reproduces the official formula of papal canonizations: it contains references to the exaltation of the Catholic faith, the salvation of souls and the consultation of the cardinals of the Roman Curia.
 
The manuscript was written as a contemporary copy, probably intended for internal circulation within some ecclesiastical body linked to the Order of Friars Minor of the Observance or the Reformed. The presence of an upper decoration and the large format indicate a public or liturgical use, perhaps in a convent or church linked to the cult of the new saints.
 
The copy bears the signature of Cardinal Giovanni Francesco Albani, the future Pope Clement XI (pontificate 1700–1721), most likely signed by an ecclesiastical notary, according to the custom of the time. The careful calligraphy and ceremonial format of the document reflect the importance of the event and the care with which it was transmitted at the local level.
 
The manuscript comes from an ecclesiastical context in southern Italy, with a possible connection to the diocese of Matera, although the name of the city does not appear explicitly in the text.