Noble, político y arzobispo. Ascanio Filomarino entre Roma, Madrid y Nápoles

Ascanio Filomarino (1583-1666) was a leading figure of the political and religious Italian scene of the seventeenth century, often discussed and criticized by many. Born into an aristocratic family of the kingdom of Naples, he enjoyed a period of great personal ascent in the court of Rome during the pontificate of Urban VIII. Part of the inner circle of the Barberini family, Filomarino is known, however, for the second part of his public career, the 25 years spent in Naples after his election as cardinal and archbishop of the city. In particular, his controversial behavior during the so-called Revolt of Masaniello caused a lot of criticism among many of his contemporaries, as well as the aggressive reform efforts towards women's convents in Naples and the frequent clashes with the viceroys and with other representatives of Spanish power in the Neapolitan kingdom. The present work aims to portray, retracing the most famous and important events in the life of Filomarino, a summary of what the historiography has said until now about this historical figure by underlining, at the same time, the many aspects and open issues that still need to be studied and examined in depth.