Roman Catholic Cardinal. The illegitimate son of a merchant of Campania, Domenico Bartolini entered the Roman Seminary and was appointed 'Cameriere d'Onore in Abito Paonazzo' in 1838. Named canon of the minor basilica of San Marco of Rome, he made notable archaeological discoveries throughout the year 1843. Named referendary prelate on November 18, 1847 and canon of the Patriarchal Lateran Basilica, he acted as relator of the Sacred Consulta between 1851 and 1856. Auditor of the Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature of Justice from 1857 until 1861, he was named Protonotary Apostolic Supernumerary in 1858. Receiving the office of secretary of the Sacred Congregation of Rites on March 30, 1861 while retaining the auditorship, he occupied the post until 1875. One of the apostolic protonotaries participantium between November 10, 1863 and 1875, in the consistory of March 15 of the latter year, Pope Pius IX created him cardinal deacon with the deaconry of San Nicola in Carcere Tulliano. Opting for the order of cardinal priests and the title of San Marco, the Cardinal was appointed prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites on July 15, 1878. Secretary of Memorials and Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals between January 15, 1886 and March 14, 1887, he authored numerous works regarding archaeology, hagiography and history. Passing away in Florence on October 2, 1887 at 8.25 pm., where he had gone for the recognition of the bodies of the seven founders of the Order of the Servants of Mary at Monte Senario for their canonization the following year, his body was exposed at the local metropolitan cathedral of Florence where a solemn funeral mass was held on October 6. Successively, he was transferred to the chapel of the chapter in the grand cloister of the basilica of SS. Annunziata, being later buried in the church of the Benedictine Abbey of Montecassino, which was reduced to dust by the allies during the Second World War, being later re-inaugurated and reconsecrated again during the Pontificate of Paul VI.