Luigi d'Este
Encyclopedia
Luigi d'Este was an Italian Catholic cardinal, the second of the five children of Ercole II d'Este
, Duke of Modena and Ferrara, and Renée, daughter of Louis XII of France
.
or Ferrara
. A man of the world whose personal emblem was Prometheus
bearing fire in the stalk of fennel, he was made a Cardinal
of the Roman Catholic Church
in Pius IV
's consistory of 26 February 1561 and served as Cardinal Protector of the kingdom of France
, which made him one of the most powerful and influential members of the College of Cardinals
; he kept as his secretary Arnaud d'Ossat
, a skillful French diplomat who was eventually made a cardinal himself.
He was Bishop of Ferrara (1550) and Apostolic Administrator of Ferrara (1561 – 8 October 1563), deacon of S. Angelo in Pescheria (1577–1583) He participated in the Papal conclave, 1565–1566
but not in the conclave of 1572, as he was absent in France. He played a key role, however, in the Papal conclave, 1585
.
Luigi d'Este lived partly in Rome and partly at the Villa d'Este
, Tivoli, built for his uncle Ippolito II d'Este
. In Rome he rented from the Orsini an agglomeration of case at Montegiordano, near Piazza Navona
, where he kept in attendance the large famiglia or household
expected of a man of his birth and position, and a villa suburbana
on the Quirinal that is now the residence of the President of Italy. Careless of his mounting debts, Cardinal d'Este was the most influential patron of the madrigal
composer Luca Marenzio
, whom he employed as maestro di capella from August 1578 until the time of his death: during the eight-year period, Marco Bizzarini observes, Marenzio published some two-thirds of his copious output. To Cardinal d'Este Marenzio dedicated his Primo libro de' madrigali a5, 1580, "because of the debt of an infinite number of favours", and books of motet
s published at Venice were dedicated by Bertoldo Sperindio (1562) and Francesco Portinaro
(1568). Cardinal d'Este was a generous patron of scholars, men of letters—like the unbalanced and high-strung Torquato Tasso
, who was taken to Paris in 1565 in the Cardinal's household and dedicated his Rinaldo to him but was found hopelessly mad in 1579 and confined at Ferrara
—and scientists, such as the Neapolitan polymath
Giambattista della Porta
, whom he invited to join him in Rome in 1579. Among the Cardinal's paintings was Correggio's Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine, now in the Louvre.
He died in Rome in 1586. He bequeathed his entire estate to his brother Alfonso II d'Este. Luigi d'Este is buried in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi
, Rome.
Ercole II d'Este
Ercole II d'Este was Duke of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio from 1534 to 1559. He was a member of the house of Este and the eldest son of Alfonso I d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia....
, Duke of Modena and Ferrara, and Renée, daughter of Louis XII of France
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
.
Biography
Luigi, a member of the House of Este,, was born in ArezzoArezzo
Arezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
or Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
. A man of the world whose personal emblem was Prometheus
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals...
bearing fire in the stalk of fennel, he was made a Cardinal
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...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in Pius IV
Pope Pius IV
Pope Pius IV , born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was Pope from 1559 to 1565. He is notable for presiding over the culmination of the Council of Trent.-Biography:...
's consistory of 26 February 1561 and served as Cardinal Protector of the kingdom of France
Crown-cardinal
A crown-cardinal was a cardinal protector of a Catholic nation, nominated or funded by a Catholic monarch to serve as their representative within the College of Cardinals and, if applicable, exercise the jus exclusivae...
, which made him one of the most powerful and influential members of the College of Cardinals
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
; he kept as his secretary Arnaud d'Ossat
Arnaud d'Ossat
Arnaud d'Ossat was a French diplomat and writer, and a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, whose personal tact and diplomatic skill steered the perilous course of French diplomacy with the Papacy in the reign of Henry IV of France.-Early life and studies:Arnaud d'Ossat was born at...
, a skillful French diplomat who was eventually made a cardinal himself.
He was Bishop of Ferrara (1550) and Apostolic Administrator of Ferrara (1561 – 8 October 1563), deacon of S. Angelo in Pescheria (1577–1583) He participated in the Papal conclave, 1565–1566
Papal conclave, 1565–1566
The papal conclave of 20 December 156 to 7 January 1566 was convened on the death of pope Pius IV and ended in the election of pope Pius V....
but not in the conclave of 1572, as he was absent in France. He played a key role, however, in the Papal conclave, 1585
Papal conclave, 1585
The Papal conclave, 21 – 24 April, 1585 – papal conclave convoked after the death of Gregory XIII, elected Cardinal Felice Peretti Montalto, who under the name of Sixtus V became the 227th pope of the Roman Catholic Church....
.
Luigi d'Este lived partly in Rome and partly at the Villa d'Este
Villa d'Este
The Villa d'Este is a villa situated at Tivoli, near Rome, Italy. Listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, it is a fine example of Renaissance architecture and the Italian Renaissance garden.-History:...
, Tivoli, built for his uncle Ippolito II d'Este
Ippolito II d'Este
Ippolito d'Este was an Italian cardinal and statesman. He was a member of the House of Este, and nephew of the other Ippolito d'Este, also a cardinal.-Biography:...
. In Rome he rented from the Orsini an agglomeration of case at Montegiordano, near Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona is a city square in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans came there to watch the agones , and hence it was known as 'Circus Agonalis'...
, where he kept in attendance the large famiglia or household
Medieval household
The medieval household was, like modern households, the centre of family life for all classes of European society. Yet in contrast to the household of today, it consisted of many more individuals than the nuclear family...
expected of a man of his birth and position, and a villa suburbana
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
on the Quirinal that is now the residence of the President of Italy. Careless of his mounting debts, Cardinal d'Este was the most influential patron of the madrigal
Madrigal (music)
A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition, usually a partsong, of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. Traditionally, polyphonic madrigals are unaccompanied; the number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six....
composer Luca Marenzio
Luca Marenzio
Luca Marenzio was an Italian composer and singer of the late Renaissance. He was one of the most renowned composers of madrigals, and wrote some of the most famous examples of the form in its late stage of development, prior to its early Baroque transformation by Monteverdi...
, whom he employed as maestro di capella from August 1578 until the time of his death: during the eight-year period, Marco Bizzarini observes, Marenzio published some two-thirds of his copious output. To Cardinal d'Este Marenzio dedicated his Primo libro de' madrigali a5, 1580, "because of the debt of an infinite number of favours", and books of motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s published at Venice were dedicated by Bertoldo Sperindio (1562) and Francesco Portinaro
Francesco Portinaro
Francesco Portinaro was an Italian composer and humanist of the Renaissance, active both in northern Italy and in Rome. He was closely associated with the Ferrarese Este family, worked for several humanistic Renaissance academies, and was well-known as a composer of madrigals and...
(1568). Cardinal d'Este was a generous patron of scholars, men of letters—like the unbalanced and high-strung Torquato Tasso
Torquato Tasso
Torquato Tasso was an Italian poet of the 16th century, best known for his poem La Gerusalemme liberata , in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between Christians and Muslims at the end of the First Crusade, during the siege of Jerusalem...
, who was taken to Paris in 1565 in the Cardinal's household and dedicated his Rinaldo to him but was found hopelessly mad in 1579 and confined at Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
—and scientists, such as the Neapolitan polymath
Polymath
A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
Giambattista della Porta
Giambattista della Porta
Giambattista della Porta , also known as Giovanni Battista Della Porta and John Baptist Porta, was an Italian scholar, polymath and playwright who lived in Naples at the time of the Scientific Revolution and Reformation....
, whom he invited to join him in Rome in 1579. Among the Cardinal's paintings was Correggio's Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine, now in the Louvre.
He died in Rome in 1586. He bequeathed his entire estate to his brother Alfonso II d'Este. Luigi d'Este is buried in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi
San Luigi dei Francesi
The Church of St. Louis of the French is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and titular church in Rome, not far from Piazza Navona. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, to St. Denis the Areopagite and St. Louis IX, king of France...
, Rome.