The worldly affairs of holders of high ecclesiastical office in the Renaissance period have a fascination not merely due to scandals and notoriety, but because they are so charged with ambiguity and because, from the 13th to the 17th centuries, porporati had so much more power and influence in the world than subsequently. Drawing upon documentary material from a variety of Italian and ecclesiastical sources, above all from the Gonzaga archives and its wealth of correspondence files and registers, these essays (including one previously unpublished) explore the private and public lives, the practical commitments and economic resources, and the moral dilemmas of the cardinals and their dependents in Renaissance Italy. The volume includes one hitherto unpublished study, and a substantial section of additional notes.