Giovanni Ricci
Giovanni Ricci (1498–1574) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal.
Biography
Giovanni Ricci was born in Montepulciano on November 1, 1498, the son of Pietro Antonio Ricci.[1] Disliking his stepmother, Giovanni Ricci traveled to Rome at age 15, seeking the protection of his father's friend Tarugi, a nobleman from Montepulciano, who could not convince the youth to return to Montepulciano.[1] He later entered the court of Cardinal Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte, the future Pope Julius III as assistant to the master of chamber; he became the cardinal's master of chamber upon the death of the old master of chamber.[1] He later entered the service of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, iuniore.[1] He was sent on diplomatic missions to the Kingdom of France and the Duchy of Burgundy, which he accomplished successfully.[1]
He then entered the ecclesiastical estate and became a protonotary apostolic participantium.[1] In 1542, he became a cleric in the Apostolic Camera.[1] He was later to serve as apostolic collector for the Kingdom of Portugal, and nuncio to the Kingdom of France and to Austria.[1]
On June 25, 1544, he was elected Archbishop of Manfredonia.[1] From June 27, 1544 to March 4, 1550, he was nuncio to the Kingdom of Portugal (though he was unable to enter Lisbon until September 1545.[1]) On February 20, 1545, he was transferred to the see of Chiusi, though he was allowed to retain the title of archbishop ad personam.[1]
Pope Julius III made him a cardinal priest in the consistory of November 20, 1551.[1] He received the red hat and the titular church of San Vitale on December 4, 1551.[1] He resigned the government of Chiusi sometime before November 19, 1554.[1]
He was a participant in the papal conclave of April 1555 that elected Pope Marcellus II; the papal conclave of May 1555 that elected Pope Paul IV; and the papal conclave of 1559 that elected Pope Pius IV.[1]
On November 10, 1561, he became administrator of the see of Montepulciano.[1] He served as Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals from January 30, 1563 until 1564.[1]
He participated in the papal conclave of 1565-66 that elected Pope Pius V.[1] On January 30, 1566, he opted for Sant'Angelo in Pescheria, a deaconry assigned as titulus, and then, on October 7, 1566, for the titular church of Santa Maria in Trastevere.[1] He was transferred to the metropolitan see of Pisa on September 3, 1567.[1]
On July 3, 1570, he opted for the order of cardinal bishops, taking the suburbicarian see of Albano.[1] He was a participant in the papal conclave of 1572 that elected Pope Gregory XIII.[1] He opted for the suburbicarian see of Sabina on April 8, 1573.[1]
He died in Rome on May 3, 1574.[1] He was buried in San Pietro in Montorio.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Entry from Biographical Dictionary of the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church