The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church - Biographical Dictionary

The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church

Biographical Dictionary
[Antipope] Benedict XIII (1394-1423)
Consistory of December 24, 1395 (I)

(1) 1. BLAIN, Pierre (?-1409)

Birth. (No date found), village of Garde Guéri, Gevaudan, diocese of Mende, France. His last name is also listed as Blau; as Blani; and as Blavi. Relative of Pope Urban V. He was called the Cardinal of S. Angelo.

Education. Obtained a doctorate in utroque iure, both canon and civil law.

Early life. Referendary of Antipope Benedict XIII.

Cardinalate. Created pseudocardinal deacon of S. Angelo in Pescheria in the consistory of December 24, 1395. Left the obedience of Antipope Benedict XIII in August 1398, together with the majority of his cardinals; returned to his obedience in March 1403; left again in 1408; and was deposed by him on October 21 of that year. Attended the Council of Pisa. Participated in the conclave of 1409, which elected Antipope Alexander V. The antipope restored him to his deaconry of S. Angelo in Pescheria on July 2, 1409 (1). He left Pisa on July 15, 1409 to enter Avignon with Antipope Alexander V.

Death. December 12, 1409, Avignon. Buried in the Benedictine church of Saint-André, Avignon (2).

Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, III, ; 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. 737-738; "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. VI. Les cardinaux du Grand Schisme (1378-1417)". Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1931. Paris : Maison de la Bonne Presse, 1931, p. 154; 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. 29, 42, n. 2, and 49.

Webgraphy. Biography, in English, Wikipedia; his arms, Aealdica Vaticana.

(1) This is according to "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. VI. Les cardinaux du Grand Schisme (1378-1417)", Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1931, p. 154; and Eubel, Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi, I, 49. Francesco Cristofori, Cronotasi dei cardinali di Santa Romana Chiesa (Rome : Tipografia de Propaganda Fide, 1888), 111, indicates that he was named cardinal priest of the title of Ss. Giovanni e Paolo on March 25, 1409 (?) but the translation could only have taken place in June 1405, after the transfer of Cardinal Giovanni Filandrini from this title to the suburbicarian see of Sabina. Cristofori adds that he occupied the title until his death the following December 12.
(2) This is the text of his epitaph taken from Chacón, Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm, II, col. 738:

HIC IACET REVERENDISSIMVS IN CHRISTO PATER
DOMINVS PETRVS BLANI NATIONE GABALLITANVS
EX VTROQVE PARENTE DE MILITARI GENEBRE PROCREATVS
AC DE PROPINQVO GENERE FOELICIS
RECORDATIONIS DOMINI VRBANI PAPAE QVINTI
DECRETORVM DOCTOR EGREGIVS S. ANGELI
DIACONVS CARDINALIS QVI OBIIT ANNO DOMINI
MCCCCIX. DIE XII. DECEMBRIS.

VULPELLI, Orlando (?-?)

Birth. (No date found), Lucca.

Education. (No information found).

Early life. (No information found).

Cardinalate. Created pseudocardinal deacon of S. Maria in Via Lata in the consistory of December 24, 1395 (1).

Death. (No date or place found). Buried (no information found).

Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, III, ; 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. 738; "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. VI. Les cardinaux du Grand Schisme (1378-1417)". Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1931. Paris : Maison de la Bonne Presse, 1931, p. 157; 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, p. 31.

(1) This is according to Chacón, Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificum Romanorum et S.R.E. Cardinalium, 1630; Agostino Oldoini, who revised and updated the second edition of the work, 1677, II, col. 378, indicates that he should be eliminated from the list of pseudocardinals because there is no documentary proof of his promotion; "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. VI. Les cardinaux du Grand Schisme (1378-1417)". Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1931, p. 157, also says that he should be eliminated from the list of pseudocardinals; Eubel, Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi, I, 31, indicates that he is mentioned by Chacón-Oldoini, but does not say if he should be counted among the pseudocardinals or not included in the list.