Brancaccio, Francesco Maria

Brancaccio, Francesco Maria an Italian prelate, was successively bishop of Viterbo, of Porto, and of Capaccio. A captain of infantry, sent to the last-named place by the king of Naples, wished to infringe upon the liberties of the Church. Brancaccio killed him, and in recompense for this act, Urban VIII made him cardinal in 1634; but the Spaniards opposed his election when he was proposed for the successor of pope Clement IX. He died January 9, 1675. We have from him a collection of Latin dissertations (Rome, 1672). See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.