Although the College of Cardinals is the most prestigious and venerable body at the heart of the Catholic Church, no consolidated work on its members had appeared in well over 150 years before the second volume of this work entitled Heraldica Collegii Cardinalium, 1800 to 2000 was published in 2000. This volume should be seen as the completion of the entire roll of the college and the two volumes should be seen as one work. Thus with this second volume finally there is an authoritative roll of the college and of the coats-of arms used by the members of the College.
The work has been researched in the Vatican Library and Archives, the Bibliotheque National in Paris, the British Museum Library, and in church archives on all continents.
The work has been fully illustrated by the author, giving full entitlements for each cardinal, including civil entitlements where they apply.
A work of this nature is a unique record of the College and is designed as the ultimate source book for the College, both from a biographical and heraldic perspective.
Also published at the same time: Supplement I to Heraldica Collegii Cardinalium 2002.
This give the coats-of arms of the 44 cardinals created in the consistory of 21st February 2001 and all those amendments for the first volume which have come to light.
Heraldica Collegii Cardinalium, Volume II II98-1799
The work contains:
- A complete nominal roll of all Cardinals for the period 1198 to 1799 given in the order of their creation by pontificate
- Some 2200 line drawings of all Cardinals’ arms
- All papal coats-of-arms for the period
- Full heraldic descriptions of the arms
- Full details of titular churches, sees held and other titles as appropriate
- Eight colour plates.
Appendices which give:
- Coats-of-Arms of Religious Orders
- Coats-of-Arms of Sees occupied by Cardinals
- Coats-of-Arms of nations & states used
- Coats-of-Arms of families commonly used
- A full bibliographical listing
- A detailed list of sources used
A full index