In Urbino (Italy), in a noble family of Albanian origin from Laçi of Kurbini, Clement XI was born, serving as Pope from 1700 to 1721. His baptismal name was Giovanni Francesco Albani. He was appointed a cardinal by Pope Innocent XI in 1690. Clement was elected pope on November 23, 1700, around two months after the death of Innocent XII. He fought against nepotism within the church. From 1715 to 1718, he supported Venice and Emperor Charles VI in the war against the Ottomans. During Clement XI’s pontificate, under the leadership of the Archbishop of Tivari, Vincent Zmajević, the Assembly of Arbëria was convened in 1703, the minutes of which were published in 1706 in Albanian and Latin. He passed away in 1721. (In the photo: Pope Clement XI)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 2 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 1184.
Photo: © https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Clement_XI
Graphic processing: AHCF
