The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church

Biographical Dictionary
Pope Innocent III (1198-1216)
Consistory of May or June 1211 (VII)


(26) 1. SESSA, O.Cist., Gerardo da (around 1160-1212)

Birth. Around 1160, Sessa (?), of a noble family from Reggio Emilia. His first name is also listed as Gherardo and his last name as Sessa; as Sessio; as Sesso; and as Sessi.

Education. (No information found).

Early life. Canon of the cathedral chapter of Parma in 1290. Provost of Borgo San Donnino, 1196-1203. Entered the Order of the Cistercians.

Priesthood. Ordained (no further information found). Abbot of the monastery of S. Maria di Tileto, Acqui, before November 1205.

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Novara in 1209. Promoted to the metropolitan see of Milan, May 4, 1211.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal bishop of Albano in the consistory of May or June 1211 (1). He never received the episcopal consecration. Legate in the Papal States, then occupied by Emperor Otto IV von Brunswick, who had been excommunicated. Subscribed the papal bulls issued between December 3, 1211 and April 22, 1212.

Death. Shortly after April 22, 1212 (2), Cremona. Buried in the cathedral of Cremona.

Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1792, I, pt. 2, 226-227; Cazzani, Eugenio. Vescovi e arcivescovi di Milano. Nuova ed./ a cura di Angelo Majo, 2. ed. Milano : Massimo : NED, 1996. Note: Originally published 1955, now enlarged and updated, p. 152-153; Chacón, Alfonso. Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm ab initio nascentis Ecclesiæ vsque ad Vrbanvm VIII. Pont. Max. 2 volumes. Romae : Typis Vaticanis, 1677, II, col. 38-39; "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. Les cardinaux du XIIIè siècle". Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1929. Paris : Maison de la Bonne Presse, 1929, p. 113; Eubel, Conradus and Gulik, Guglielmus van. Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi. Volumen I (1198-1431). Münich : Sumptibus et Typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1913; reprint, Padua : Il Messagero di S. Antonio, 1960, pp. 4, 35, 332 and 371; Majo, Angelo. Storia della chiesa ambrosiana. 5 vols. 2nd ed. Milano : NED, 1983-1986, II, 35.

Webgraphy. Biography by Maria Pia Alberzoni, in Italian, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 92 (2018); Treccani; biography, in Italian, Comune di Parma; biographical entry, in Italian, Magazzeno Storico Verbanese; Serie cronologica dei vescovi di Milano (III-XXI secolo), in Italian, archdiocese of Milan; his arms, Araldica Vaticana.

(1) This is according to Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. Les cardinaux du XIIIè siècle". Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1929, p. 113; and Eubel, Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi, I, 4 and 35; Cardella, Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, I, pt. 2, 225; and Chacón, Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm, II, 38, say that the date of his promotion to the cardinalate is unknown.
(2) This is according to Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. Les cardinaux du XIIIè siècle". Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1929, p. 113; and his biographical entry in Italian, linked above; Eubel, Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi, I, 4 and 232; and his biography in Italian, linked above, say that he died on December 15, 1211; Eubel, I, 35, says that he died after April 22, 1212; Cronologia di Milano dal 1201 al 1225, says that he died in November 1211.

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