Roman Catholic Cardinal. Born in Cologno al Serio to an ancient family of Hungarian origins present in the Veneto region since the fourteenth century, Antonio Agliardi received his first education at the Celana College before entering seminary in Bergamo, later heading to Rome where he frequented the Nobile Collegio Cerasoli, the Roman Seminary and the Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant'Apollinare, earning doctorates in doctorates in philosophy, theology and utroque iuris in both civil and canon laws. Ordained priest there in December 1855, back in Bergamo he was assigned to the teaching staff of the local seminary and pastor of the parish of Osio Sotto. Called back to Rome as professor of moral theology at the Pontifical Urban Athenaeum of the Propaganda Fide in 1877, he was named minutant in the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide before being appointed apostolic delegate in India on September 23, 1884 by Pope Leo XIII. Receiving his episcopal consecration with the titular archbishopric see of Cesarea di Palestina at the church of Sant'Andrea delle Fratte in Rome from Cardinal Giovanni Simeoni, with the Catholic hierarchy in India reconstituted during his delegation, three provincial councils were celebrated and two seminaries for the native clergy were opened. Recalled to Rome as pro-secretary of the Sacred Congregation of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs on May 9, 1887, he was named its secretary on October 6 of the following year. Named nuncio in Bavaria on April 9, 1889 and in Austria on June 12, 1893, in the spring of 1896 he went to Russia to represent the Holy See during the coronation of Czar Nicholas II. Decorated with the grand cross of the Austrian Order of Sankt Stefan in 1896, in the consistory of June 22 that year, Pope Leo XIII created him cardinal priest with the title of Ss. Nereo ed Achilleo. Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals from March 24, 1898 until June 19, 1899, he opted for the order of bishops and suburbicarian see of Albano on December 14, 1899. Appointed prefect of the Economics of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide on July 29, 1902 and vice chancellor of the Holy Roman Church and commendatario of the title of San Lorenzo in Damaso on June 22, 1903, he was named chancellor on June 29, 1908 serving until his death. President of Academy of the Catholic Religion, he supported the initial organization of the Christian Democrats as he had done with the Christian Social parties in Austria and Germany. He also supported the founder of the Christian Democrats Don Romolo Murri and defended him and the young Christian Democrats against the accusations from clericalists and conservatives through his wish of seeing the participation of Italian Catholics in the political life and parliament. Passing away at eighty three years of age, during his last few months rumors had it that Cardinal Agliardi and a prominent Italian politician were more or less officiously engaged in negotiations to regulate the position of the Holy See in the event of Italy going to war. The body of this strong advocate for peace and social rights was transferred by train from Termini station and laid to rest in the cemetery of Osio Sotto in a beautiful marble urn with an epitaph dictated by Bishop Grassi.