Born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari (1765-1846), he was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846. Strongly conservative and traditionalist, he opposed democratic and modernizing reforms in the Papal States and throughout Europe, seeing them as fronts for revolutionary leftism, and sought to strengthen the religious and political authority of the papacy. ALS in Italian, signed “Gregorio PP. XVI,” one page both sides, 7.75 x 10.25, May 17, 1838. Untranslated letter to the Archbishop of Florence, Ferdinando Minucci. Central vertical and horizontal folds, moderate show-through from writing on opposing sides, and trivial spots of ink erosion to a few single letters, otherwise fine condition. RR Auction COA.
