The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church

Biographical Dictionary
Pius II (1458-1464)
Consistory of December 18, 1461 (II)
Celebrated in Rome


(7) 1. ROVERELLA, Bartolomeo (1406-1476)

Birth. 1406, Rovigo, diocese of Adria (1). Son of Palatine Count Giovanni Roverella, citizen of Ferrara and camerlengo of Leonello d'Este, marquis of Ferrara; and Beatrice de' Leopardi di Lendinara. He was called the Cardinal of Ravenna. Another cardinal of the family was Aurelio Roverella (1794).

Education. Obtained a doctorate in law; he was profondo teologo (2).

Early life. Clerk of the bishop of Modena. Chaplain of the patriarch of Aquleia. Secretary of Pope Eugenius IV. Chamberlain of Pope Nicholas V. Auditor of the Sacred Roman Rota.

Sacred orders. (No information found).

Episcopate. Elected first bishop of Adria, July 15, 1444. Consecrated (no information found). Promoted to the metropolitan see of Ravenna, September 26, 1445; resigned the see in favor of his nephew Sismundo Filiasio Roverella on January 9, 1475. He was in Rome during the conclave of March 1447. Nuncio in England, 1451-1452. Governor of Umbria, 1448-1451; and of Marche Picena, 1452-1454. Governor of de Viterbo, 1459. Legate of Pope Pius II in the kingdom of Naples in 1460. Governor of Benevento, 1460-1466. Provost commendatario of S. Bartolomeo di Rovigo, 1465-1474; Abbot commendatario of Vangadizza and of S. Maria di Corazzo, from 1465.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of December 18, 1461, while he was in his legation; returned to Rome on January 26, 1462 and received in consistory the title of S. Clemente; received the red hat on January 30, 1462. In June 1462, from Benevento, he congratulated the new doge of Venice, Ludovico Moro. Returned from Rome on February 13, 1464 to his legation in Naples, where he supported King Ferdinando d'Aragonia against the duke of Anjou. Returned to Rome on the following August 23 and entered the conclave of 1464, which elected Pope Paul II. Named legate in Perugia, January 8, 1470; he left for his legation on January 26; and returned to Rome on August 1, 1471 to participate in the conclave of 1471, which elected Pope Sixtus IV. Named legate in Marche Anconitana by the new Pope Sixtus IV; he left for his legation on October 24, 1471; when he returned, he was received by the pope in public consistory on October 28, 1473. Elected camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals on January 12, 1476.

Death. May 2, 1476, Ferrara. Buried in a magnificent monument next to the chapel of S. Giovanni Battista in the church of S. Clemente (3), Rome, where the obsequies took place

Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, III, 147-151; Chacón, Alfonso. Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm ab initio nascentis Ecclesiæ vsque ad Vrbanvm VIII. Pont. Max. 4 volumes. Romae : Typis Vaticanis, 1677, II, col. 1051-1052; "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. VIII. Les cardinaux du XVIe siècle. Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1933. Paris : Maison de la Bonne Presse, 1933, p. 135-136; Eubel, Conradus and Gulik, Guglielmus van. Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi. Volumen II (1431-1503). Münich : Sumptibus et Typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1914; reprint, Padua : Il Messagero di S. Antonio, 1960, pp.13, 34, 36, 37, 338, 39, 62, 80 and 221; Weber, Christoph and Becker, Michael. Genealogien zur Papstgeschichte. 6 v. Stuttgart : Anton Hiersemann, 1999-2002. (Päpste und Papsttum, Bd. 29, 1-6), IV, 844.

Webgraphy. His portrait by Giuseppe Olivieri Da Capranica, Rome, 1763, Biblioteca Comunale Ariostea, Ferrara; biographical entry, in Italian, Biblioteca Comunale Ariostea, Ferrara; his engraving, portrait and arms, Araldica Vaticana; his tomb in the church of S. Clemente, Rome, Requiem Datenbank; his portrait (1590-1610), diocese of Adria-Rovigo, Beni Ecclesiastici in Web (BeWeb).

(1) This is according to "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. VIII. Les cardinaux du XVIe siècle. Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1933, p. 135; Eubel, Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi, II, 80, says that he was from Vigueria, diocese of Ferrara; Cardella, Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, III, 147, says that he was of a most noble family and that he was born in Ferrara, and, according to some sources (which he does not mention) in Rovigo.
(2) Cardella, Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, III, 148.
(3) This is the text of his epitaph taken from the photograph, linked above:

Hoc munumento clauditur Urbi,
Doctis, bonis omnibus desideratissimus
Bartolomæus Roverella
Ob solas animi dotes
Singuralemquem fidem & scientiam
Eugenii IV. Pontificis Maximi
Secretarius
Et ab eodem archiepiscopus Ravennas
Inde,
A Pio II. Pont. Max.
Tituli Sanctis Clementis cardinalis creatus,
Qui legationibus multis
Pacis bello peractis
Dum
Xysti IV. Pont. Max.
El collegarum benevolentia
Principunque ac nationum plurimarum
Clientelis insignis tranquillam
Et consiliis utilem septuagenarius ætatem
Ageret,
Omni supellectile in familiæ remunerationem
Distribui iussa
Romæ obiit anno salutis
M CCC LXXVI.
VI. nonas Maii.
Testam. executores collegæ
B. M.

    Chacón, Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm, II, col. 1051-1052, also transcribes the text of the epitaph.

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(8) 2. JOUFFROY, O.S.B.Clun., Jean (ca. 1412-1473)

Birth. Ca. 1412, Luxeuil, archdiocese of Besançon, Franche-Comté. Of a low and obscure condition. His last name is also listed as Gafridi and Gaufridi; and his first name as Joannes, Geofroi and Gofredo. He was called the Cardinal of Arras and of Albi.

Education. Obtained doctorates in canon law and theology.

Early life. He entered the Order of St. Benedict Cluniancese (Benedictines) in Luxeuil. Professor of theology and canon law at the University of Pavia, 1435-1438. Prior of Notre Dame du Château-sur-Salins. He participated in the Council of Florence in 1439. Abbot of Saint-Pierre de Luxeuil in 1449. Papal referendary. Envoy of Philippe le bon before Pope Nicholas V.

Sacred orders. (No information found).

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Arras, April 30, 1453. Consecrated (no information found). In August 1459 in Mantua, he joined the embassy of the duke of Bourgogne before Pope Pius II; he pronounced the customary address. In 1460, he was the intermediary between the pope and the dauphin, who became King Louis XI on July 22, 1461. Attended the consecration of the king in Reims on August 15, 1461; became a royal counselor. Named papal legate before the French king as well as legate in England, Scotland and Bourgogne; he was received by King Louis XI in October 1461; he asked for the abrogation of the Pragmatic Sanction on November 27, 1461. The French king recommended him for the cardinalate.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of December 18, 1461; he entered Rome on March 13, 1462 as part of a French embassy, with Count Pierre de Chaumont; the embassy was received by the pope in the Consistorial Hall, and the new cardinal spoke in the name of the king; immediately after the audience, he received the red hat and the title of Ss. Silvestro e Martino ai Monti. Talked to the pope on several occasions in favor of House of Anjou in Naples but without success. Transferred to the see of Albi on December 10, 1462. Returned to France on October 23, 1464 and arrived in Paris, where the king honored him greatly. Did not participate in the conclave of 1464, which elected Pope Paul II. Abbot of Saint-Denis, June 12, 1464. In 1465, he received a new mission from Pope Paul II before the French king. Returned to Rome on October 3, 1466 heading an embassy from the French king, including Charles de Bourbon, archbishop of Lyon; went back to France on October 1, 1468. In 1469, he was named ambassador of King Louis XI before King Enrique IV of Castilla (1); and later, before Pope Paul II. Obtained in commendam the Cistercian monastery of Morerela, diocese of Zamora, March 9, 1470. Did not participate in the conclave of 1471, which elected Pope Sixtus IV. In 1473, he received from the French king the command of the army against Jean d'Armagnac in Lectoure; and later, against Perpignan; on his return to Paris, he died.

Death. Before November 24, 1473 (2), priory of Reuilly, in the archdiocese of Bourges. Buried in that priory (2).

Bibliography. Compayré, Clément. Études historiques et documents inédits sur l'Albigeois, le Castrais et l'ancien diocèse de Lavaur. Albi : Imprimerie de Maurice Papilhiau, 1841, pp. 83-85; Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, III, 150-151; Chacón, Alfonso. Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm ab initio nascentis Ecclesiæ vsque ad Vrbanvm VIII. Pont. Max. 4 volumes. Romae : Typis Vaticanis, 1677, II, col. 1052-1055 and 1271; "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. VIII. Les cardinaux du XVIe siècle. Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1933. Paris : Maison de la Bonne Presse, 1933, p. 136; Eubel, Conradus and Gulik, Guglielmus van. Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi. Volumen II (1431-1503). Münich : Sumptibus et Typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1914; reprint, Padua : Il Messagero di S. Antonio, 1960, pp. 13, 33, 35, 36, 39, 65, 84 and 98.

Webgraphy. Biography by Charles Dubray, in English, The Catholic Encyclopedia; his arms, third on the second row, no. 60, Araldica Vaticana.

(1) Actually, there were two embassies; the first one, in April 1469, he tried to arrange the marriage of the duke of Guyena, brother of the king of France, to the future Queen Isabel the Catholic; and when it did no succeed, in the second embassy he tried to arrange the marriage with Princess Juana la Beltraneja, daughter of King Enrique IV of Castilla; this was agreed upon on October 25, 1470 but the marriage did not take place because of the death of the duke of Guyena in May 1472), ehen the princess was only ten years old.(2) This is according to Eubel, Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi, II, 13; the same source, II, 84, says that he died on December 11, 1473; Dictionnaire de Cardinaux, col. 976, indicates that he died on December 11, 1473; Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1933, p. 136, says that he died shortly before December 7, 1473 and indicates that Chevalier gives November 24 as the date of his death; Cristofori, Cronotassi dei cardinali de Santa Romana Chiesa, p. 72, says that he occupied the title of Ss. Silvestro e Martino ai Monti until November 1477 with a (?); his biography in English, linked above, says that he died on November 24, 1473; and the one in German, also linked above, says that he died on November 24, 1437 (which is clearly a typo, meaning 1473).
(2) This is according to Cardella, Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, III, 151; and "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. VIII. Les cardinaux du XVIe siècle, Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1933, p. 136; Compayré, Clément. Études historiques et documents inédits sur l'Albigeois, le Castrais et l'ancien diocèse de Lavaur, p. 85, says that his body was embalmed and transferred to Albi, where it was buried in a superb mausoleum in the chapel of Sainte-Croix in the metropolitan cathedral; the monument was later destoryed.

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(9) 3. CARDONA I DE ARAGÓN, Jaime Francisco de (ca. 1405-1466)

Birth. Ca. 1405, Urgel, Spain. Son of Juan Ramón Folch, second count of Cardona, and Juana de Aragón y Villena, great-granddaughter of King Jaime II of Aragón. His first name is also listed as Jaume; as Jayme; and as Jaime Francisco; and his last name as Folch de Cardona y Aragón. He was called the Cardinal of Ss. Pietro e Marcellino and of S. Pietro in Vincoli although he never received a title.

Education. (No information found).

Early life. Canon of the cathedral chapter and archdeacon of Barcelona. Administrator perpetual of the abbey of Santa María, Solsona, 1441. President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, 1443-1446.

Sacred orders. (No information found).

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Vich, May 28, 1445; he was elected when Bishop Jorge de Ornos was deprived of the see; took possession of July 22, 1445. Consecrated (no information found). Entered the service of Pope Nicholas V as pontifical referendary on November 17, 1448. Participated in the cortes of Perpignan in March 1450. On February 1, 1456, he preached in Barcelona during the festivities for the canonization of St. Vicente Ferrer. On November 23, 1456, he attended the congregation of the province to discuss the payment of the subsidy imposed by Pope Callistus III for the war against the Turks. Celebrated the mass at the exequies of King Alfonso IV on June 28, 1458. Transferred to the see of Gerona, October 15, 1459. In the discord between Carlos, the Prince of Viana; and Carlos' father, King Juan II, the bishop constantly followed the party of the king. When the prince of Viana was set free by his father, he made a black list of enemies of his cause; in the list appeared Jaime de Cardona. In 1459, King Juan II sent him to the French court, together with Gastón, count of Foix; Luis Despuig, maestre of Montesa, and others, to obtain the aid of King Charles VII; the mission was successful. Transferred to the see of Urgel, September 23, 1461, at the request of the jurados; occupied the see until his death. At the request of the king of Aragón, he was promoted to the cardinalate.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of December 18, 1461; never went to Rome to receive the red hat and the title. He did not participate in the conclave of 1464, which elected Pope Paul II. Pope Pius II called him "a learned man of saintly life".

Death. December 1, 1466, castle of Cervera, Catalonia. Buried n the convent of San Francisco de Cervera. In 1513, his remains were transferred to the church of San Vicente in Cardona, and buried together with those of his nephews, Vicecounts Joan Ramon Folch III and Joan Ramon Folch IV.

Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, III, 151; Chacón, Alfonso. Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm ab initio nascentis Ecclesiæ vsque ad Vrbanvm VIII. Pont. Max. 4 volumes. Romae : Typis Vaticanis, 1677, II, col. 1055 and 1118; "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. VIII. Les cardinaux du XVIe siècle. Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1933. Paris : Maison de la Bonne Presse, 1933, p. 136; Eubel, Conradus and Gulik, Guglielmus van. Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi. Volumen II (1431-1503). Münich : Sumptibus et Typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1914; reprint, Padua : Il Messagero di S. Antonio, 1960, pp. 14, 159, 260 and 267; Goñi Gaztambide, José. "Cardona, Jaime Francisco." Diccionario de historia eclesiástica de España. 4 vols and Supplement. Dirigido por Quintín Aldea Vaquero, Tomás Marín Martínez, José Vives Gatell. Madrid : Instituto Enrique Flórez, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 1972-1975; Suplemento (1987), suppl., 110; Katterbach, Bruno. Referendarii utriusque Signaturæ a Martino V ad Clementem IX et Praelati Signaturae Supplicationum a Martino V ad Leonem XIII. Città del Vaticano 1931. (Studi e Testi 55), p. 23; Moroni, Gaetano. Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica da S. Pietro sino ai nostri giorni. 103 vols. in 53. Venezia : Tipografia Emiliana, 1840-1861, X, 27.

Webgraphy. Biography by César Ramos Iglesias, DB~e, Diccionario Biográfico Español; biography, in English, Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana; his arms, Araldica Vaticana.

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(10) 4. ALBRET, Louis d' (1422-1465)

Birth. December 23, 1422, France. Of a family originating in Labrit in the Landes. Of royal blood. Second son of Charles II, sire d'Albret, count of Dreux, and Anne d'Armagnac. Called the Cardinal d'Albret, or de Lebreto, or Alebreto. Uncle of Cardinal Amanieu d'Albret (1500).

Education. (No information found).

Early life. Protonotary apostolic.

Sacred orders. (No information found).

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Aire, January 7, 1445; administrator until reaching the age of 26 years. Consecrated (no information found). Transferred to the see of Cahors, July 4, 1460; took possession on July 30, 1460; enthroned in February 1461. At the request of King Charles VIII in 1460, and of King Louis XI in October 1461, he was promoted to the cardinalate.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of December 18, 1461; entered in Viterbo on May 31, 1462 and received the red hat and the title of Ss. Marcellino e Pietro. Participated in the conclave of 1464, which elected Pope Paul II. Elected camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, January 8, 1465. Named bishop of Tarbes on January 9, 1465, retaining the see of Cahors; occupied both sees until his death. Because of his qualities he was called les délices de Rome at du Sacré Collège.

Death. September 4, 1465, Rome. Buried in a marble tomb, work of Andrea Bregno, in the church of S. Maria in Araceoli, Rome (1).

Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, III, 151-153; Chacón, Alfonso. Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm ab initio nascentis Ecclesiæ vsque ad Vrbanvm VIII. Pont. Max. 4 volumes. Romae : Typis Vaticanis, 1677, II, col. 1055-1058 AND 1118; "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. VIII. Les cardinaux du XVIe siècle. Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1933. Paris : Maison de la Bonne Presse, 1933, p. 136-137; Eubel, Conradus and Gulik, Guglielmus van. Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi. Volumen II (1431-1503). Münich : Sumptibus et Typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1914; reprint, Padua : Il Messagero di S. Antonio, 1960, pp. 14, 33, 34, 34, 59, 63, 80 and 123.

Webgraphy. His genealogy, A1 B1 C2, Genealogy.EU; his portrait, bishopric of Cahors, France; his tomb in the church of S. Maria in Aracoeli, Rome, The Australian National University; more views of his tomb, Requiem Datenbank.

(1) This is the text of his epitaph taken from the photograph, linked above:

SEDENTE PAVLO · II ·
LUDOVICVS DE LEBRETTO REGVS SANGVIS ·
SANCTORVM PETRI ET MARCELLINI PRESBYTER ·
CARDINALIS · NOBILITATI ANIMI · INNOCENTIA ·
ET FIDES PRAECLARVM · SACRI APOSTOLCI SENATVS ·
AMOR ET DELITIAE · HOC MONIMENTO CONDITVS EST ·
M CCCC LXIV · DIE IIII · SEPTEMBRIS

    Chacón, Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm, II, col. 1056, also transcribes the text of the epitaph, and adds the following inscription indicating that it is in the pavement in front of the altar: LODOVICVS TT. SS. PATERI ET MARCELINI PRESB. CARD. NATIONE GALLVS GENTE DE ALEBRETO REGIO FRANC. SANGVINE NATVS. MORIBVS EX VITA CLARVS HINC IN PACE QVIESCIT VIX AN. XXXXII. MEN. VIII. DI. XII. OBIIT. ROMAE. AN. MCCCCLXV. DIE. IIII. MEN. SEPTEMB.

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(11) 5. AMMANNATI-PICCOLOMINI, Giacomo (1422-1479)

Birth. March 8, 1422, Villa Basilica, Pescia, diocese of Lucca. Of an impoverished noble family. Pope Pius II adopted him into his family and gave him his last name, Piccolomini. He is also listed a Jacopo di Pavia; his first name as Jacopo; and as Jacobus; and his last name as Piccolomini-Ammannati; and as Ammannati only. He was called the Cardinal of Pavia.

Education. Initial studies in Pescia; later, studied in Florence under the guidance of Carlo and Leonardo d'Arezzo, attending the lectures of humanist scholar Giannozzo Manetti and Guarino Veronese; obtained a doctorate in jurisprudence in Siena.

Early life. Went to Rome in the Jubilar Year of 1450 at the service of Cardinal Domenico Capranica. Secretary of Latin letters in the pontificate of Pope Callistus III; confirmed in that post on August 19, 1458 by the new Pope Pius II. Given the honor of citizenship by Siena.

Priesthood. Ordained (no further information found).

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Pavia, July 18, 1460; took possession on July 23, 1460. Consecrated (no information found).

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of December 18, 1461; received the red hat on December 19, 1461; and the title of S. Crisogono on January 8, 1462. In August 1462, he became vice-gerent of the office of camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals; occupied the post until January 1463; camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, January 28, 1463 until January 8, 1464. Accompanied the pope in June 1464 but had to go to Spoleto because of the plague; rejoined the pope in Ancona on July 25, 1464. Present, on August 14, 1464, at the death of Pope Pius II, who addressed him his last words; the cardinal related in his "Memorie" the journey and final moments of the life of the pope. Participated in the conclave of 1464, which elected Pope Paul II; he helped elect the new pope but fell in disgrace shortly after. In August 1466, he pronounced himself for a strong action against the king of Bohemia, Jiříz Kunštátu a Podiěbrad; the pope declared the king deposed on December 23, 1466. He was a friend of Cardinal Johannes Bessarion. Left for Siena in June 1471; returned to Rome to participate in the conclave of 1471, which elected Pope Sixtus IV; because he was indisposed, he could not enter the conclave until its second day. The new pope named him legate a latere in Perugia on September 13, 1471; he left Rome for his legation on September 23; returned on February 22, 1472 and resigned the post on the following July 28. Sent to pacify the Florentines and the Sienese, on October 21, 1472, in conflict because of their frontiers. He was absent from Rome in October 1473 to deal with personal matters; returned the following November 21. He intervened before the pope in favor of Nicola Vitelli, the tyrant of Città di Castello and because of his support, the cardinal fell in disgrace. On July 5, 1475, he received the commendam of the Cistercian monastery of Morimundo, archdiocese of Milan; he had already resigned the commendam of the Benedictine monasteries of S. Lorenzo, Cremona; and S. Vittore, Milan. Elected again camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals on January 10, 1476; occupied the post until January 15, 1477, except for a brief absence from Rome until May 31. Opted for the order of cardinal bishops and the suburbicarian see of Frascati on August 17, 1477. Named administrator of the metropolitan see of Lucca on September 24, 1477. He was absent from Rome in November 1477. He authored the continuation of the "Commentari" of Pope Pius II, printed in Milan in 1506. Later, he also wrote a "Vita dei papi", which has been lost, as well as several other works that remained unpublished.

Death. September 10, 1479, San Lorenzo alle Grotte, near Bolsena. His body was transferred to Rome the following day; in spite of his wish, formulated in his will, to be buried in the patriarchal Vatican basilica, next to the tomb of Pope Pius, II, his remains were buried in the church of S. Agostino, Rome (1). His correspondence was published in 1506. Sebastiano Paoli wrote his biography in 1712.

Bibliography. Ammannati Piccolomini, Iacopo. Lettere (1444-1479). 3 vols. Edited by Paolo Cherubini. Rome: Ministero per I Beni Culturali e Ambientali and Ufficio Centrale per I Beni Archivistici, 1997; Calamari, Giuseppe. Il confidente di Pio II: Cardinal Iacopo Ammannati (1422-1479). 2 vols. Rome: Augustea, 1932; Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, III, 153-155; Chacón, Alfonso. Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm ab initio nascentis Ecclesiæ vsque ad Vrbanvm VIII. Pont. Max. 4 volumes. Romae : Typis Vaticanis, 1677, II, col. 1058-1066; "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. VIII. Les cardinaux du XVIe siècle. Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1933. Paris : Maison de la Bonne Presse, 1933, p. 137; Eubel, Conradus and Gulik, Guglielmus van. Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi. Volumen II (1431-1503). Münich : Sumptibus et Typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1914; reprint, Padua : Il Messagero di S. Antonio, 1960, pp. 14, 61, 62 and 212.

Webgraphy. Biography by Umberto Benigni, in English, The Catholic Encyclopedia; biography by Enrico Carusi, in Italian, Enciclopedia Italiana (1929), Treccani; biography, in Italian, diocese of Frascati; profile, in English, under "Jacopo Cardinal of Pavia", Elfinspell; his arms, Araldica Vaticana; his tomb in the church of S. Agostino, Rome, Requiem Datenbank.

(1) This is the text of his epitaph taken from the photograph linked above:

LUCA ORTV · SIENE LEGE FVIT MIHI PATRIA · NOMEN
DVM VIXI IACOBVS · MENS BONA PRO GENERE ·
PAPA PIVAS SEDEM PAPIENSEM DETVLIT IDEM
CARDINEO ORNAVIT MVNERE GENTE DOMO
VIVITE QVI LEGITIS CAELESTIA QVAERITE NOSTRA HAEC
IN CINERES TANDEM GLORIA TOTA REDIT

OBIIT · APVD · LAVRENT · VVLSINIEM · AN · SAL · MCCCLXXIX · X · SEPTEMB · IN VRBEM RELATVS PIA · FAMILIA · DOMESTICA
PROSEQVENTE ET · HIC CONDITVS XYSTI III · PONT · MAX · BENEFICIO VIX · AN LVII MENS · VII · D · II

    Chacón, Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm, II, col. 1062, also transcribes the text of the epitaph.

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(12) 6. GONZAGA, Francesco (1444-1483)

Birth. March 15, 1444, Mantua. Venetian patrician. Of the dukes of Mantua. Son of Ludovico III Gonzaga "il Turco" and Barbara, margravine of Brandeburg in Bayreuth und Kulmbach. Other cardinals of the family were: Sigismondo Gonzaga (1505); Ercole Gonzaga (1527); Pirro Gonzaga (1527); Francesco Gonzaga (1561); Giovanni Vincenzo Gonzaga, O.S.Io.Hier. (1578); Scipione Gonzaga (1587); Ferdinando Gonzaga (1607); and Vincenzo Gonzaga (1615). He was called the Cardinal of Mantua.

Education. Studied in Padua; and at the University of Pisa.

Early life. Named protonotary apostolic in February 1454. Procurator of the church of Mantua. He had a natural and illegitimate son, Francesco, who was called il Cardinalino. Promoted to the cardinalate at the request of Prince Elector Albrecht III of Brandenburg.

Sacred orders. (No information found).

Cardinalate. Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of December 18, 1461; left for Rome on March 5, 1462; on March 10, he was in Bologna; and arrived in Rome on March 23, spending the night in S. Maria del Popolo; received the red hat the following day; and the deaconry of S. Maria Nuova on April 2, 1462. Left Rome on November 14, 1463 and returned to Mantua.

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Bressanone, August 12, 1464. Consecrated (no information found). Participated in the conclave of 1464, which elected Pope Paul II. He offered the new Pope Paul II a splendid banquet on September 16, 1464 for his taking possession of the patriarchal Lateran basilica. Named administrator of the see of Mantua on August 20, 1466; occupied the post until his death. Participated in the secret consistories of January 7, 1467 and June 30, 1470. In the consistory celebrated in S. Marco on February 18, 1471, the pope named him legate a latere in Bologna. He was also named commissary apostolic in the states of his father, with faculty to preach the crusade against the Turks. He received in Rome, together with Cardinal Marco Barbo, the new Duke Borso of Ferrara. Left Rome for Bologna on July 5, 1471; arrived in Bologna on July 21; returned to Rome on August 4 to participate in the conclave of 1464, which elected Pope Paul II. His legation in Bologna was confirmed by the new Pope Sixtus IV. Received the commendam of the abbey of S. Gregorio. Suggested Mantua as the site for the congress that the pope was going to celebrate. On March 18, 1472, he resigned the commendam of the monastery of S. Tommaso Maggiore, diocese of Verona. On May 2, 1472, he received in Bologna with great honors Cardinal Johannes Bessarione, who was on his way to France to negotiate the peace between the French king and the duke of Bourgogne. Named administrator of the metropolitan see of Lund; occupied the post until 1474. Left Rome for his legation in Bologna on July 11, 1472; he offered a banquet to the French embassy sent by King Louis XI of France to Pope Sixtus IV. Abbot commendatario of the monastery of S. Andrea di Mantua from 1472. Returned to Rome on November 24, 1473. In April 1474, he was charged with receiving in Rome King Christian of Denmark and Norway. Received the deaconry of S. Agata in Suburra in commendam in 1475. On June 10, 1476, he went with the pope to Viterbo and Foligno because of the plague. On July 26, 1476, he was named administrator of the see of Bologna. He was in Rome in March 1477; left for his legation in Bologna on June 18, 1478. Opted for the title of S. Lorenzo in Damaso in 1477. He resigned the commendam of the monastery of S. Dionigio, Milan, on January 18, 1478. He reestablished the order in Bologna on March 20, 1479. Resigned the commendam of the monastery of S. Maria della Gironda, Cremona on June 18, 1479; he was succeeded by his brother Luigi. On December 28, 1480, he returned to Rome from his legation in Bologna. Named again legate a latere in Bologna on December 15, 1482. Went to Ferrara to encourage the inhabitants of the city in their fight against Venice. He had the reputation of a great worldliness, resembling the secular princes of his time; at the same time, he was very generous with the poor and very devout of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Death. October 21, 1483, per disordini; percioché bevendo l'acqua della Porretta non servò la guardia conveniente (1), in Palazzo della Signoria, Bologna. His body was transported to Mantua and buried in the tomb of his family in the church of S. Francesco (2). Giovanni Lucido Cataneo delivered the Oratio in funere cardinalis Gonzagae habita Mantuae, 1483.

Bibliography. Brinton, Selwyn. The Gonzaga--Lords of Mantua. London : Methuen, 1927, pp. 74, 79, 80, 86, 209 and 212; Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1793, III, 155-157; Chacón, Alfonso. Vitæ, et res gestæ Pontificvm Romanorum et S. R. E. Cardinalivm ab initio nascentis Ecclesiæ vsque ad Vrbanvm VIII. Pont. Max. 4 volumes. Romae : Typis Vaticanis, 1677, II, col. 1067-1068 and 1274; Chambers, David S. A Renaissance cardinal and his worldly goods : the will and inventory of Francesco Gonzaga (1444-1483). London : Warburg Institute, University of London, 1992. (Warburg Institute surveys and texts, v. 20); "Essai de liste générale des cardinaux. VIII. Les cardinaux du XVIe siècle. Annuaire Pontifical Catholique 1933. Paris : Maison de la Bonne Presse, 1933, p. 137-138; Eubel, Conradus and Gulik, Guglielmus van. Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi. Volumen II (1431-1503). Münich : Sumptibus et Typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1914; reprint, Padua : Il Messagero di S. Antonio, 1960, pp. 14, 33, 34, 37, 38, 39, 41, 44, 45, 46, 67, 11, 182 and 185; Meluzzi, Luciano. I vescovi e gli arcivescovi di Bologna. Bologna : Grafica Emiliana, 1975, (Collana storico-ecclesiastica; 3), pp. 312-316; Moroni, Gaetano. Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica da S. Pietro sino ai nostri giorni. 103 vols. in 53. Venezia : Tipografia Emiliana, 1840-1861, XXXI, 282-283.

Webgraphy. Biography by Isabella Lazzarini, in Italian, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 57 (2002), Treccani; his portrait by Andrea Mantegna, Museo e Gallerie Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy, Wikipedia; Arrival of Cardinal Francesco Gonzaga by Andrea Mantegna, Camera degli Sposi, Castello di San Giorgio, Mantua, aiwaz.net; his genealogy, A2 B5 D2 E1 F6, Libro d'Oro dlla Nobilità Mediterranea; portraits and arms, Araldica Vaticana; his portrait and arms, secolo XIX (1890-1899), ambito bolognese, regione ecclesiastica Emilia Romagna, Beni Ecclesiastici in Web (BeWeB); The Housing Problems of Cardinal Francesco Gonzaga by David Sanderson Chambers, in Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Vol. 39 (1976), 21-58; his tomb, Requiem Datenbank; I Gonzaga e i papi : Roma e le corti padane fra Umanesimo e Rinascimento (1418-1620). Atti del convegno Mantova - Roma 21-26 febbraio 2013, a cura di Renata Salvarani. Città del Vaticano : Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013. (Monumenta studia instrumenta liturgica).

(1) "Of disorders; because drinking the water of the Porretta, he did not observe the necessary care." The sulphureous water of the "Terme di Porretta" produced an important effect in the cure of the diseases of the skin.
(2) This is according to Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica da S. Pietro sino ai nostri giorni, XXXI, 283, which adds that he may have been buried in the cathedral of Mantua.

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