Francesco Sforza (Cardinal)

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Cardinal Francesco Sforza

Francesco Sforza (born November 6, 1562 in Parma , † September 9, 1624 in Rome ) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Church .

Life

Francesco Sforza was the son of Sforza Sforza from the Sforza di Santa Fiora line and his second wife Caterina de 'Nobili. He was a nephew of the cardinals Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora , Roberto de 'Nobili and Alessandro Sforza and the great-nephew of Pope Paul III. He was distantly related to Cardinal Federico Sforza .

He received a military education under Ottavio Farnese , Duke of Parma , and later at the court of Francesco I de 'Medici , Grand Duke of Tuscany . He studied Latin , rhetoric , mathematics , philosophy , morals and politics ; his excellent memory is said to have allowed him to remember everything he had read even once.

As a twelve-year-old Marchese di Varzi , Francesco Sforza was promised in a marriage contract dated October 25, 1575, the seven-year-old sister of the Grand Duke Francesco de 'Medici, Virginia de' Medici (1568-1615). He served in Flanders under his cousin Alessandro Farnese , commanding the Italian troops, of which King Philip II of Spain appointed him general . Francesco Sforza had two illegitimate children, Caterina and Sforzino, who were declared legitimate by Pope Clement VIII on July 5, 1599. After the dissolution of his never consummated marriage to Virginia de 'Medici, Francesco Sforza became a cleric and, although he was not yet a priest , rose quickly in the Roman curia . He became canon of San Nicola in Carcere and held this position until he was elevated to the rank of cardinal.

In the consistory of December 12, 1583, Gregory XIII took. Francesco Sforza as cardinal deacon in the college of cardinals and awarded him on January 6, 1584 the cardinal's hat and the title deacon of San Giorgio in Velabro . As a cardinal he took part in the conclave of 1585 , from which Sixtus V emerged as pope. He moved on July 29, 1585 to the titular diaconate San Nicola in Carcere and again on December 5, 1588 to Santa Maria in Via Lata . As a cardinal protodeacon , he took part in the first conclave of 1590 , which elected Pope Urban VII , and in the second conclave of 1590 , in which Gregory XIV was elected pope. He was also a participant in the 1591 conclave , which Pope Innocent IX. elected, and at the conclave of 1592 , Cardinal Ippolito Aldobrandini elevated to Pope Clement VIII . From July 20, 1591 to 1597, Francesco Sforza was legate in Romagna; his main job was to rid the area of highway robbers and he managed to restore peace and quiet to the province, killing about 800 highway robbers in a month. He represented Pope Clement VIII in 1590 at the baptism of Cosimo de 'Medici , Hereditary Grand Duke of Tuscany, and accompanied Clement VIII in 1598 to Ferrara. Francesco Sforza took part in the second conclave in 1605 , at which Paul V was elected, and on May 29, 1605 crowned the newly elected Pope.

He was ordained priest in 1614 and was elevated to cardinal priest with the titular church of San Matteo in Merulana on November 13, 1617 . He was a cardinal proto-priest . On March 5, 1618, Francesco Sforza was appointed cardinal bishop of the suburbicarian diocese of Albano . He received his episcopal ordination on May 1, 1618 in the chapel of the Quirinal Palace, Pope Paul V personally, co- consecrators were the Cardinals Benedetto Giustiniani , Andrea Peretti de Montalto , Alessandro Orsini and Scipione Cobelluzzi . On April 6, 1620 he moved to the suburbicarian bishopric of Frascati . He took part in the conclave of 1621 , which Pope Gregory XV. elected, as well as at the conclave of 1623 , from which Urban VIII emerged as Pope. On September 27, 1623 he moved as sub-dean of the college of cardinals to the suburbicarian diocese of Porto e Santa Rufina .

Francesco Sforza died in Rome on September 9, 1624 and was buried in the church of San Bernardo alle Terme , which his mother had donated 24 years earlier.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Virginia de 'Medici later married Cesare d'Este of Modena on February 6, 1586 .

literature

  • Nicola Ratti: Della Famiglia Sforza. Volume 1. Salomoni, Rome 1794, pp. 308-320, full text in the Google book search

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Nicola Ratti: Della Famiglia Sforza. P. 315f.
predecessor Office successor
Paolo Emilio Sfondrato Cardinal Bishop of Albano
1618–1620 		Alessandro Damasceni Peretti de Montalto
Giovanni Evangelista Pallotta Cardinal Bishop of Frascati
1620–1623 		Odoardo Farnese
Francesco Maria Bourbon Del Monte Cardinal Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina
1623–1624 		Ottavio Bandini
personal data
SURNAME Sforza, Francesco
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian cardinal of the Roman Church
DATE OF BIRTH November 6, 1562
PLACE OF BIRTH Parma
DATE OF DEATH September 9, 1624
Place of death Rome