Giovanni Valentino Gentile
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Valentino Gentile (Scigliano
c.1520 – Bern, 10 Sept 1566) was an Italian humanist and non-trinitarian.
As a young man he was influenced by Giorgio Siculo's teaching against paedobaptism and transubstantiation. In Naples he was exposed to Waldensian teachings, and those of Juan de Valdés
, and was part of the Accademia Cosentina.
In 1546 he took part in the Collegia Vicentina in Vicenza, adopting the Unitarian view of Lelio Sozzini. After the 1550 Anabaptist Council of Venice
antitrinitarians were persecuted by the Council of Ten
and in 1557 Gentile fled with Apollonio Merenda to Geneva - already home to Giorgio Biandrata
, Nicola Gallo, Giovanni Paolo Alciati
and Matteo Gribaldi
, and there, in 1558, he aligned with Alciati and Biandrata against Jean Calvin. On May 18, 1558 Calvin required all the Italian exiles in Geneva to affirm a Trinitarian statement, which Gentile first refused to sign, but then following the others, did so. At this period the Italian exiles in Geneva were forming the idea of Christ as a person subordinate to God, the Father, and of the Holy Spirit as simply God's power. In June Gentile and Nicola Gallo were denounced and tried for heresy and blasphemy by Calvin himself with the result that Gentile was sentenced to beheading. The charge was commuted when Gentile agreed to go through the city barefoot in a shirt, the heralds ahead of him, recanting his heresy, and to burn his own writings. The bailiff of Bern he managed to incense by dedicating a booklet to him.
Gentile and Giovanni Paolo Alciati
della Motta then followed Biandrata to safety in Pinczòw, the "Sarmatian Athens", 1562-1566. During this period cardinal Giovanni Francesco Commendone
succeeded in persuading John II Sigismund to implement the Edict of Parczòw 1564, expelling all the Italian and German Calvinists and Antitrinitarians. Gentile, Bernardino Ochino
and Alciati set out for Slavkov u Brna
in Moravia, where Nicola Paruta was, and where Ochino died in 1565. Gentile returned to Bern, but challenged the French Protestants to a public debate on the Trinity. Before any debate could take place he was arrested, imprisoned, and Théodore de Bèze and Heinrich Bullinger
urged the bailiff to take the strictest sentence. He was executed 10 Sept. 1566.
Scigliano
Scigliano is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.- Immigration : - Demografic Stats...
c.1520 – Bern, 10 Sept 1566) was an Italian humanist and non-trinitarian.
As a young man he was influenced by Giorgio Siculo's teaching against paedobaptism and transubstantiation. In Naples he was exposed to Waldensian teachings, and those of Juan de Valdés
Juan de Valdés
Juan de Valdés was a Spanish religious writer.He was the younger of twin sons of Fernando de Valdés, hereditary regidor of Cuenca in Castile, where Valdés was born. He has been confused with his twin brother Alfonso...
, and was part of the Accademia Cosentina.
In 1546 he took part in the Collegia Vicentina in Vicenza, adopting the Unitarian view of Lelio Sozzini. After the 1550 Anabaptist Council of Venice
Council of Venice
The concilio di Veneto or sinodo a Venezia 1550 was a meeting in Venice of the anabaptist radicals of Northern Italy.It had been preceded by the antitrinitarian Collegia Vicentina The concilio di Veneto or sinodo a Venezia 1550 was a meeting in Venice of the anabaptist radicals of Northern Italy.It...
antitrinitarians were persecuted by the Council of Ten
Council of Ten
The Council of Ten, or simply the Ten, was, from 1310 to 1797, one of the major governing bodies of the Republic of Venice whose actions were often secretive. Although some sources may indicate that the Council of Ten was generally accepted in Venice, there was some opposition...
and in 1557 Gentile fled with Apollonio Merenda to Geneva - already home to Giorgio Biandrata
Giorgio Biandrata
Giorgio Biandrata or Blandrata , was an Italian physician and polemicist, who came of the De Biandrate family, powerful from the early part of the 13th century, was born at Saluzzo, the youngest son of Bernardino Biandrata.He graduated in arts and medicine at Montpellier in 1533, and specialized in...
, Nicola Gallo, Giovanni Paolo Alciati
Giovanni Paolo Alciati
Dr. Giovanni Paolo Alciati della Motta was an Italian Calvinist and friend of Giorgio Biandrata and Giovanni Valentino Gentile, one of the participants of the antitrinitarian Council of Venice in 1550. Like Biandrata and Negri he moved to in Poland.-References:...
and Matteo Gribaldi
Matteo Gribaldi
Matteo Gribaldi Mofa was an Italian legal scholar who became an Arian and defender of Michael Servetus....
, and there, in 1558, he aligned with Alciati and Biandrata against Jean Calvin. On May 18, 1558 Calvin required all the Italian exiles in Geneva to affirm a Trinitarian statement, which Gentile first refused to sign, but then following the others, did so. At this period the Italian exiles in Geneva were forming the idea of Christ as a person subordinate to God, the Father, and of the Holy Spirit as simply God's power. In June Gentile and Nicola Gallo were denounced and tried for heresy and blasphemy by Calvin himself with the result that Gentile was sentenced to beheading. The charge was commuted when Gentile agreed to go through the city barefoot in a shirt, the heralds ahead of him, recanting his heresy, and to burn his own writings. The bailiff of Bern he managed to incense by dedicating a booklet to him.
Gentile and Giovanni Paolo Alciati
Giovanni Paolo Alciati
Dr. Giovanni Paolo Alciati della Motta was an Italian Calvinist and friend of Giorgio Biandrata and Giovanni Valentino Gentile, one of the participants of the antitrinitarian Council of Venice in 1550. Like Biandrata and Negri he moved to in Poland.-References:...
della Motta then followed Biandrata to safety in Pinczòw, the "Sarmatian Athens", 1562-1566. During this period cardinal Giovanni Francesco Commendone
Giovanni Francesco Commendone
Giovanni Francesco Commendone was an Italian Cardinal and papal nuncio.-Life:After an education in the humanities and in jurisprudence at the University of Padua, he came to Rome in 1550...
succeeded in persuading John II Sigismund to implement the Edict of Parczòw 1564, expelling all the Italian and German Calvinists and Antitrinitarians. Gentile, Bernardino Ochino
Bernardino Ochino
Bernardino Ochino was an Italian Reformer.-Biography:Bernardino Ochino was born in Siena son of the barber Domenico Ochino, and at the age of 7 or 8 around 1504 was entrusted to the Minorite order of Franciscan Friars, then from 1510 he studied medicine at Perugia.-1534, transfer to the...
and Alciati set out for Slavkov u Brna
Slavkov u Brna
Slavkov u Brna is a country town east of Brno in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Population: 5,900. The town is widely known for giving its name to the Battle of Austerlitz which actually took place several kilometres to the west of the town....
in Moravia, where Nicola Paruta was, and where Ochino died in 1565. Gentile returned to Bern, but challenged the French Protestants to a public debate on the Trinity. Before any debate could take place he was arrested, imprisoned, and Théodore de Bèze and Heinrich Bullinger
Heinrich Bullinger
Heinrich Bullinger was a Swiss reformer, the successor of Huldrych Zwingli as head of the Zurich church and pastor at Grossmünster...
urged the bailiff to take the strictest sentence. He was executed 10 Sept. 1566.