Alessandro Cesarini (died 13 February 1542), bishop of Pistoia,[1] was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.

Alessandro Cesarini
Coat of arms of Cardinal Alessandro Cesarini.

Life

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Born in Rome, the son of Agabito Cesarini, he became close to the Medici family, particularly Cardinal Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, the future Pope Leo X. He was made cardinal deacon on 1 July 1517[2] and received the deaconry of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus, opting for the deaconry of Santa Maria in Via Lata in 1523. He became known for his patronage of writers and artists.

He served as apostolic administrator of Pamplona, Spain from 1520 to 1538; that of Alessano, Italy from 1526 to 1531; that of Otranto, Italy from 1526 to 1536; that of Gerace, Italy from 1536 to 1538; that of Catanzaro, Italy briefly in 1536; that of Oppido Mamertina, Italy from 1536 to 1538 (resigning in favor of his natural son, Ascanio Cesarini, who succeeded him in that see from 1538 to 1542); that of Jaën from 6 July 1537 to 14 June 1538;[3] and that of Cuenca, Spain from 1538 to his death.

In the sack of Rome by mutinous troops of Charles V in 1527, he was one of the cardinals held hostage.[4]

He participated in the conclave of 1521–1522, which elected Adrian VI; of 1523, which elected Clement VII; and of 1534, which elected Paul III.

He became cardinal bishop and chose the suburbicarian see of Albano, Italy in 1540.

He was appointed bishop of Palestrina, Italy in 1541, in which office he died on 13 February 1542 in Rome. He was buried in his family’s tomb in the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli in Rome.[5][6]

References

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  1. ^ William Roscoe and Thomas Roscoe, The Life and Pontificate of Leo the Tenth, Vol.2, (Henry G. Bohn, 1846), 78.
  2. ^ Kenneth Gouwens and Sheryl E. Reiss, The Pontificate Of Clement VII: History, Politics, Culture, (Ashgate Publishing Limited, 1988), 276.
  3. ^ G. Gulik and C. Eubel, Hierarchia catholica III editio altera (curavit J. Schmitz-Kallenberg) (Monasterii 1935), p. 203
  4. ^ Marino Sanudo, Patricia H. Labalme and Laura Sanguineti White, Venice, Cità Excelentissima, (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008), 184.
  5. ^ Miranda, Salvador. "CESARINI, seniore, Alessandro (last quarter of the 15th century-1542)". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Florida International University. OCLC 53276621.
  6. ^ “Alessandro Cardinal Cesarini (Sr.),” catholic-hierarchy.org
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Cardinal-Deacon of Santi Sergio e Bacco
1517–1523
Succeeded by
Preceded by Administrator of Gerace (1st time)
1519
Succeeded by
Preceded by Administrator of Pamplona
1520–1538
Succeeded by
Preceded by Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria in Via Lata
1523–1540
Succeeded by
Preceded by Administrator of Otranto
1526–1536
Succeeded by
Preceded by Administrator of Alessano
1526–1531
Succeeded by
Preceded by Administrator of Gerace (2nd time)
1534–1538
Succeeded by
Preceded by Administrator of Catanzaro
1536
Succeeded by
Preceded by Administrator of Oppido Mamertina
1536–1538
Succeeded by
Preceded by Administrator of Cuenca
1538–1542
Succeeded by
Preceded by Cardinal-Bishop of Albano
1540–1541
Succeeded by
Preceded by Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina
1541–1542
Succeeded by