Scipione Gonzaga (11 November 1542 - 11 January 1593) was an Italian
CardinalA cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, 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 making themselves available...
.
Born in
MantuaMantua is a city in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name.Mantua is surrounded on three sides by artificial lakes created during the 12th century. These receive the waters from the Mincio, which descend from Lake Garda...
, he belonged to the family of the Dukes of Sabbioneta, passed his youth under the care of Cardinal
Ercole GonzagaErcole Gonzaga was an Italian Cardinal.Born in Mantua, he was the son of the Marquess Francesco Gonzaga, and nephew of Cardinal Sigismondo Gonzaga...
, and made rapid progress in Greek and Latin studies. At
BolognaBologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of northern Italy...
, and later at
PaduaPadua is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice , in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area, having a population of c...
, he studied mathematics and philosophy, and, in the latter city, founded the
Accademia degli Eterei, or Academy of the Ethereals.
Scipione Gonzaga (11 November 1542 - 11 January 1593) was an Italian
CardinalA cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, 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 making themselves available...
.
Born in
MantuaMantua is a city in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name.Mantua is surrounded on three sides by artificial lakes created during the 12th century. These receive the waters from the Mincio, which descend from Lake Garda...
, he belonged to the family of the Dukes of Sabbioneta, passed his youth under the care of Cardinal
Ercole GonzagaErcole Gonzaga was an Italian Cardinal.Born in Mantua, he was the son of the Marquess Francesco Gonzaga, and nephew of Cardinal Sigismondo Gonzaga...
, and made rapid progress in Greek and Latin studies. At
BolognaBologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of northern Italy...
, and later at
PaduaPadua is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice , in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area, having a population of c...
, he studied mathematics and philosophy, and, in the latter city, founded the
Accademia degli Eterei, or Academy of the Ethereals. Throughout his life he patronized literature and men of letters, among the latter being
Tasso-People:*Torquato Tasso, the famous Italian 16th-century poet, author of Gerusalemme liberata*Bernardo Tasso, his father, also a poet-Places:*Tasso, Corse-du-Sud, a commune on Corsica, France*Tasso River, a river in Mumbai, India...
, who sought his advice concerning his
Gerusalemme Liberata, and
GuarinoGuarino is an Italian name that can be used to refer to several people:* First Name** Guarin, Siculo-Norman general** Guarino da Verona, Renaissance humanist.** Guarino Guarini, Italian artist** Guarino Moretti, a.k.a...
, who dedicated to him his
Pastor Fido.
Having finished his theological studies he went to Rome, became
cameriere segreto to
Pope Pius IVPope 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:...
, and was ordained priest. In the early years of the reign of
Pope Gregory XIIIPope Gregory XIII , born Ugo Boncompagni, was Pope from 1572 to 1585.-Youth:He was born in the city of Bologna, where he studied law and graduated
in 1530...
Gonzaga had a serious lawsuit with the Duke of Mantua over some property, but they were soon reconciled. Through the
GuiseGuise is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardie in northern France. The ruins of the medieval castle of Guise, seat of the Dukes of Guise, are located in the commune.* Population: 6,066* Area: * Altitude: 97 m-Miscellaneous:...
party, whose cause he had aided, he became Bishop of Mende in France, but
Charles, Duke of GuiseCharles de Lorraine, 4th Duke of Guise was the son of Henry I, Duke of Guise and Catherine of Cleves.-Biography:...
pleaded unsuccessfully with Gregory XIII to have him made cardinal.
Pope Sixtus VPope Sixtus V , born Felice Peretti di Montalto, was Pope from 1585 to 1590.-Biography:Felice Peretti was born at Grottammare, in the Papal States, son of Piergentile di Giacomo, nicknamed "Peretto", and Marianna da Frontillo. He took the surname "Peretti" in 1551 and was more generally known as...
, immediately on his elevation, appointed him
Latin Patriarch of JerusalemThe Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is the title possessed by the Latin Rite Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem. The Archdiocese of Jerusalem has jurisdiction for all Latin Rite Catholics in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus. In Jerusalem, the Catholic community is the largest Christian community,...
, and in 1587, at the request of the Duke of Mantua, raised him to the cardinalate. Sixtus also made constant use of his services in the execution of his policies, domestic and foreign.
Cardinal Gonzaga was a friend
Charles BorromeoSaint Charles Borromeo is an Italian saint and was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church...
and
Philip NeriPhilip Romolo Neri , was an Italian priest, noted for founding a society of secular priests called the "Congregation of the Oratory".-Early life:...
, and his cousin
Aloysius GonzagaSaint Aloysius Gonzaga was an Italian Jesuit and saint.- Early life :Aloysius Gonzaga was born at his family’s castle in Castiglione delle Stiviere, between Brescia and Mantova in northern Italy. He was a member of the illustrious House of Gonzaga...
owed him eventual consent of his father to his entering the
Society of JesusThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic religious order of clerks regular whose members are called Jesuits.Jesuits are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church, with 18,815 members—13,305 priests, 2,295 scholastic students, 1,758 brothers and 827 novices—as of January 2008, although the...
. For a time Cardinal Gonzaga was governor of the Marquessate of Monferrato in the name of the Marquess Vincenzo.
The three books of his
Commentarii, written in polished Latin, are an important source of information for the history of his cardinalate; they were edited at Rome in 1791. He was buried in the church of
San Sebastiano al PalatinoSan Sebastiano al Palatino is a basilica church in Rome. It is devoted to Saint Sebastian, and is located on the Palatine Hill.According to legend, it is built on the site of its dedicatee's martyrdom, with the first church constructed in the 10th century, and the second church being the result of...
in Rome.