Guillaume Pellicier
Encyclopedia
Guillaume Pellicier (Guillaume Pellissier) was a French prelate and diplomat.
Born at Melgueil in Languedoc
, he was educated by his uncle, the bishop of Maguelonne, whom he succeeded in 1529. In 1536 he was transferred to Montpellier
.
Francis I
entrusted him with several important missions; in 1529 he accompanied Louise de Savoie to Cambrai
and concluded peace with Charles V
. In 1533 at Marseilles he arranged with Clement VII for the marriage of the Duc d'Orléans (Henri II
) and Catherine de' Medici
. He obtained permission for the translation of his Episcopal see from Maguelonne to Montpellier from Paul III in 1536.
Appointed ambassador at Venice
in 1539, he fulfilled his mission to the entire satisfaction of Francis I, and brought back a large number of Greek, Syriac, and Hebrew Manuscript. On the discovery of the system of espionage he had employed, the king had to recall him in 1542. Returning to his diocese, he was imprisoned in the castle of Beaucaire for his tolerance of the Reformers
, so he replaced his former indulgence by severity, and the end of his episcopate was disturbed by religious struggles. He was a man of wide learning, a humanist and a friend of humanists, and took a keen interest in the natural sciences.
Born at Melgueil in Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
, he was educated by his uncle, the bishop of Maguelonne, whom he succeeded in 1529. In 1536 he was transferred to Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
.
Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
entrusted him with several important missions; in 1529 he accompanied Louise de Savoie to Cambrai
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
and concluded peace with Charles V
Charles V of France
Charles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380 and a member of the House of Valois...
. In 1533 at Marseilles he arranged with Clement VII for the marriage of the Duc d'Orléans (Henri II
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
) and Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France....
. He obtained permission for the translation of his Episcopal see from Maguelonne to Montpellier from Paul III in 1536.
Appointed ambassador 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...
in 1539, he fulfilled his mission to the entire satisfaction of Francis I, and brought back a large number of Greek, Syriac, and Hebrew Manuscript. On the discovery of the system of espionage he had employed, the king had to recall him in 1542. Returning to his diocese, he was imprisoned in the castle of Beaucaire for his tolerance of the Reformers
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, so he replaced his former indulgence by severity, and the end of his episcopate was disturbed by religious struggles. He was a man of wide learning, a humanist and a friend of humanists, and took a keen interest in the natural sciences.