Abstract

This article reconstructs for the first time the art collection and artistic influence of Cardinal Luis Fernandez de Portocarrero (1635-1709) in Italy. After arriving in Rome as Cardinal Protector in 1669, his greatest political achievements were to be the positions of interim viceroy in Sicily and special ambassador to the Holy See. On his return (1679), as archbishop of Toledo and member of the Council of State, he would be a key figure in the disputes over the succession of Charles ii. During his Italian decade he made an effort to adapt to the tastes and customs of the cardinals' families in Rome, trusting his image - and the decoration of Palazzo Cupis in Piazza Navona - to the most outstanding artists of the Papal Court. He also used the public dimension of the arts to build himself a reputation among the Spanish community in Rome, especially during the Jubilee Year of 1675, and he was particularly skilled at linking the progressions of his career to events of political importance to the general interests of the Spanish Crown, perhaps already contemplating his move to the court in Madrid.