Pietro Riario

Tomb of the cardinal in the church of Santi Apostoli in Rome (1474–1477)

Pietro Riario (born April 21, 1445 in Savona , † January 3, 1474 in Rome ) was a Franciscan conventual orientation and cardinal of the Roman Church .

Life

Pietro was the son of the wealthy craftsman Paolo Riario and his second wife Bianca della Rovere , sister of the Franciscan and theology lecturer at the time, Francesco della Rovere , who was elected Pope in 1471 as Sixtus IV . Orphaned at an early age, Pietro entered the Franciscan order, studied in Pavia , Padua and Bologna and obtained his master's degree in theology in Rome . In 1470 he was ordained a priest , in 1471 he was immediately appointed bishop and cardinal by his uncle Sixtus IV, who had just been elected pope, and was charged with foreign policy . At the same time, the Pope made his nephews Cristoforo della Rovere and Giuliano della Rovere cardinals - and later six more nephews.

Without ever receiving episcopal ordination, Pietro Riario attained the highest ecclesiastical offices with immense income. He became bishop of Treviso on September 4, 1471 , which he remained until April 28, 1473, when the diocese was administered by vicars general . On December 22nd, 1471 his uncle created him cardinal priest of the titular church of San Sisto , he also received the titular church of Santi XII Apostoli in commendam . From September 23, 1472 to April 28, 1473 he was Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Valence et Die , and on November 23, 1472 he became titular Latin Patriarch of Constantinople , a position he held until his death. He was also Archbishop of Split (from April 28, 1473), Apostolic Administrator of Seville (from June 25, 1473), Archbishop of Florence (from July 20, 1473) and finally Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Mende (from 3 November 1473); he held all these offices side by side until his death.

As cardinal depository and foreign minister of the Pope he led the life of a Renaissance prince with opulent receptions and banquets, built the Palazzo dei Santi Apostoli (with library) and organized games for the Roman people. Politically, he strengthened the alliance between the Roman Curia and the Duchy of Milan by marrying his brother Girolamo with Caterina , daughter of the Duke of Milan Galeazzo Maria Sforza . In 1473 he traveled to northern Italy to ensure the transfer of Imola from Milan to the Republic of Florence .

Riario only died in 1474 at the age of twenty-eight after a short period of suffering from belatedly recognized stomach cancer . He was buried in the Basilica of Santi XII Apostoli .

literature

• IL Gatti: Un principe del primo Rinascimento: Pietro Riario da Savona, (1445–1474) Francescano, Cardinale, Vescovo di Treviso. In: Miscellanea Francescana 105 (2005) 277-319.

Web links

• Pietro Riaro. In: Salvador Miranda : The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. ( Florida International University website), accessed December 5, 2016.