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Antonio Pignatelli, born on 13 March 1615, was a prominent figure in the Roman Catholic Church. He was educated at the Colegio Romano in Rome and served in various positions, including as an inquisitor in Malta, Governor of Fano and Viterbo, and Apostolic Nuncio to Poland and Austria. He was made a cardinal in 1681 and later became Archbishop of Naples in 1686. Pignatelli was elected pope in 1691, taking the name Innocent XII. He was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States till his death in September 1700. 
Innocent XII is known for his acts of charity and reform. He took a hard stance against nepotism in the Church, continuing the policies of Pope Innocent XI, who started the battle against nepotism, but which did not gain traction under Pope Alexander VIII. To that end, he issued a papal bull strictly forbidding it. The pope also used this bull to ensure that no revenue or land could be bestowed on relatives. 
He created 30 cardinals during his tenure and canonized and beatified several individuals. 
Pope Innocent XII was commemorated on a single €0,95 stamp issued in sheets of ten. The stamp is based on a contemporary etching found in the offices of the Secretariate of State of his Holiness and produced by the De Rossi printing house in Rome.

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