The so called Squadrone Volante was the seventeenth century independent and free thinking cardinal movement within the Catholic Church which also was known as the Flying Squad. The Squad, protected by Christina of Sweden and led by Cardinal Decio Azzolino, was highly involved in European politics in the second half of the century. The election of Pope Clement IX seems to have been mastered by the Squad.

The squad in Scotland

Squadrone Volante was also the name of a political grouping in Scotland around 1700 which was influential in passing the Act of Union with England in 1707. It was so named as it was independent of the main Court and Country parties in the Scottish Parliament.

References

• Church Politics in Seventeenth-Century Rome: Cardinal Decio Azzolino, Queen Christina of Sweden, and the Squadrone Volante - Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis: Stockholm Studies in History by Marie-Louise Rodén, 2000

• Book Review
• Journal of the Swedish embassy in the years 1653 - 1654.