Marchese Pompeo Azzolini was the nephew of Cardinal Decio Azzolini [1623-1689], a leader of a group of cardinals active in church politics in seventeenth century Rome. Cardinal Azzolini became great friends with Queen Christina of Sweden [1626-1689], daughter of Protestant hero Gustavus Adolphus [1594-1632], who abdicated her throne in 1654 after having secretly converted to Catholicism. Christina spent the last thirty years of her life in Rome. Decio Azzolini was generally believed to be her lover and on her death in 1689, Azzolini was named her heir. He himself died only a two months later, leaving Pompeo as his heir. [Compiled from sources and references recorded on CMS].