- nominal patriarch of the Palestrina comune owned by the Barberini family. He was likely also appointed Gonfalonier of the Church on the same basis. Barberini commissioned the construction of the Church of Santa Rosalia in Palestrina (opened in 1677) which includes a tribute to Maffeo's father Taddeo by Bernardino Cametti. In 1662, on the death of his uncle (his mother's brother), he applied to King Philip IV of Spain to acquire all feuds and titles (within the King's dominion) which had belonged to the Colonna. The king agreed, despite potential claims from Colonna descendants, and gave Maffeo permission to take control of a series of comunes including and Petrella Salto. Barberini was also given permission to take control of the comune of Torre Annunziata which had been owned by the Orsini family but had been seized by the Spanish Treasury several years earlier. After further negotiations, in 1664, Barberini officially purchased the Pacentro comune from the Colonna and added Count of Pacentro to his titles. Four years later he purchased the Gagliano comune and thus became Count of Gagliano. In 1668 he was made a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Maffeo Barberini died on 28 November 1685 while he was in residence at the Villa Bagnaia. The villa constituted a part of the estate of Ippolito Lante Montefeltro della Rovere, Duke of Bomarzo and nephew of Cardinal Marcello Lante della Rovere; a contemporary and ally of Maffeo's uncles and father who had been Bishop of Palestrina. Patron of the arts Barberini continued the patronage of the arts started by his family members before him. He was, if only for the purpose of maintaining the wealth of the Barberini a collector of art and became the owner of the art collection previously owned by his uncle Antonio Barberini which included at least three paintings by Caravaggio. Barberini also commissioned paintings by Niccolò Tornioli. In 1653, Barberini reopened the Teatro delle Quattro Fontane after it had been closed for more than 10 years while his uncles and father had been in exile. It continued to host operatic performances until it was damaged by fire and abandoned. Issue Maffeo Barberini and Olimpia Giustiniani had five children: Costanza Barberini (1655–1687), married duke Francesco Caetani of Caserta in 1680. Camilla Barberini (1657–1740), married count Carlo Borromeo-Arese in 1689. Francesco Barberini (1662–1738), cardinal from 1690. Urbano Barberini (1664–1722), who would inherit his