Sala, Giuseppe Antonio, 1762-1839

Giuseppe Sala (1762-1839) was born in Rome and died there. He was a member of the delegation seated in Rome during the absence of Pius VI. Pius VII (1800-1823) sent him to Paris in 1801 as secretary of the legation of Cardinal Caprara and he proved to be a zealous, objective, and loyal informer for Pius VII of the events taking place during the pope's imprisonment at Savona (1809-1814).

Sala returned to Rome and was appointed secretary of the new apostolic delegation for the second French occupation. With the restoration he began the publication of his Piano di riforma in which he proposed as a remedial principle the laicization of the public tasks. This was interrupted, however, by Consalvi, legate to the Congress of Vienna.

After 1815 Sala was secretary for many commissions and committees. He also involved himself in working with the hospitals of the city. Gregory XVI raised him to the cardinalate in 1831 and named him prefect for the Congregation for the Index and then for the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars. Among his unedited writings he left a copy of his Piano di riforma, which gives an objective account of the events of the years 1798 and 1799. See G. A. Sala, Piano di riforma umiliato a Pio VII, edited by G. Cugnoni (Tolentino, 1907).

From the description of Riforma, 1800-1823. (University of Michigan). WorldCat record id: 145567645