Giovanni Dominici
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Dominici was an Italian Cardinal
, statesman and writer. His ideas were a profound influence on the art of Fra Angelico
.
.
He entered the Dominican Order
at Santa Maria Novella in 1372 after having been cured, through the intercession of St. Catherine of Siena, of an impediment of speech for which he had been refused admission to the order two years before. On his return from Paris, where he completed his theological studies, he was professor and preacher for twelve years at Venice
.
With the sanction of the master general, Raymond of Capua, he established convents of strict observance of his order at Venice (1394) and Fiesole
(1406), and founded the convent of Corpus Domini at Venice for the Dominican Nuns of the Strict Observance; a contemporary account of his life is found in the chronicle and necrology of that convent by Bartolomea Riccoboni. He was sent as envoy of Venice to the conclave of 1406 in which Pope Gregory XII
was elected; the following year the pope, whose confessor and counsellor he was, appointed him Archbishop of Ragusa, created him cardinal in 1408 and sent him as ambassador to Hungary
, to secure the adhesion of Sigismund
to the pope.
At the Council of Constance
Dominici read the voluntary resignation which Gregory XII had adopted, on his advice, as the surest means of ending the schism. Pope Martin V
appointed him papal legate
to Bohemia
on 19 July 1418, but he accomplished little with the followers of John Hus, owing to the supineness of Wenceslaus IV
.
Dominici died at Buda
in 1419. He was beatified by Pope Gregory XVI
in 1832 and his feast is observed on 10 June.
His Lucula Noctis, in reply to a letter of Nicola di Piero Salutati, is the most important treatise of that day on the study of the pagan authors. Dominici did not completely condemn classical studies. He did however express very strong criticism of some humanist
tendencies, such as the use of rhetoric
in politics and the rise of the professional politician.
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
, statesman and writer. His ideas were a profound influence on the art of Fra Angelico
Fra Angelico
Fra Angelico , born Guido di Pietro, was an Early Italian Renaissance painter described by Vasari in his Lives of the Artists as having "a rare and perfect talent"...
.
Life
Dominici was born in FlorenceFlorence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
.
He entered the Dominican Order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
at Santa Maria Novella in 1372 after having been cured, through the intercession of St. Catherine of Siena, of an impediment of speech for which he had been refused admission to the order two years before. On his return from Paris, where he completed his theological studies, he was professor and preacher for twelve years at Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
.
With the sanction of the master general, Raymond of Capua, he established convents of strict observance of his order at Venice (1394) and Fiesole
Convent of San Domenico, Fiesole
The Convent of San Domenico is a Dominican convent in Fiesole, Italy, situated between the hill of Fiesole and the suburbs of Florence. It was founded in 1406 and completed in 1435 on the initiative of Giovanni Dominici and the bishop of Fiesole, Jacopo Altoviti, both of them monks at the Basilica...
(1406), and founded the convent of Corpus Domini at Venice for the Dominican Nuns of the Strict Observance; a contemporary account of his life is found in the chronicle and necrology of that convent by Bartolomea Riccoboni. He was sent as envoy of Venice to the conclave of 1406 in which Pope Gregory XII
Pope Gregory XII
Pope Gregory XII , born Angelo Correr or Corraro, Pope from 1406 to 1415, succeeded Pope Innocent VII on 30 November 1406....
was elected; the following year the pope, whose confessor and counsellor he was, appointed him Archbishop of Ragusa, created him cardinal in 1408 and sent him as ambassador to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, to secure the adhesion of Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
to the pope.
At the Council of Constance
Council of Constance
The Council of Constance is the 15th ecumenical council recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418. The council ended the Three-Popes Controversy, by deposing or accepting the resignation of the remaining Papal claimants and electing Pope Martin V.The Council also condemned and...
Dominici read the voluntary resignation which Gregory XII had adopted, on his advice, as the surest means of ending the schism. Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V , born Odo Colonna, was Pope from 1417 to 1431. His election effectively ended the Western Schism .-Biography:...
appointed him papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
to Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
on 19 July 1418, but he accomplished little with the followers of John Hus, owing to the supineness of Wenceslaus IV
Wenceslaus, King of the Romans
Wenceslaus ) was, by election, German King from 1376 and, by inheritance, King of Bohemia from 1378. He was the third Bohemian and second German monarch of the Luxembourg dynasty...
.
Dominici died at Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
in 1419. He was beatified by Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI , born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, named Mauro as a member of the religious order of the Camaldolese, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846...
in 1832 and his feast is observed on 10 June.
Works
Dominici was not only a prolific writer on spiritual subjects but also a graceful poet, as his many vernacular hymns, or Laudi, show. His Regola del governo di cura familiare, written between 1400 and 1405, is a pedagogical work which treats, in four books, of the faculties of the soul, the powers and senses of the body, the uses of earthly goods, and the education of children. .His Lucula Noctis, in reply to a letter of Nicola di Piero Salutati, is the most important treatise of that day on the study of the pagan authors. Dominici did not completely condemn classical studies. He did however express very strong criticism of some humanist
Renaissance humanism
Renaissance humanism was an activity of cultural and educational reform engaged by scholars, writers, and civic leaders who are today known as Renaissance humanists. It developed during the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth centuries, and was a response to the challenge of Mediæval...
tendencies, such as the use of rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
in politics and the rise of the professional politician.