Francesco Adiosi

Francesco Adiosi, also known as Francesco Cardinal Alidosius, was born in Castel del Rio, diocese of Imola in Italy c. 1460. He rose to the office of cardinal in the Catholic Church.

Early life

Father Francesco was the third son of Giovanni Alidosi, signore of Castel del Rio, and Cipriana Franceschi. He wento to France with Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, the future Pope Julius II, in 1494. Later, he became his secretary and right hand man.

Episcopate

Father Francesco was elected bishop of Mileto, March 6, 1504. He was consecrated on April 9 of that year at the Vatican by his friend, Pope Julius II. He was assisted by Cardinal Antonio Pallavicini, bishop of Orense, and by Cardinal Giovanni San Giorgio, bishop of Parma. Cardinal Raffaele Sansone Riario, bishop of Albania was consecrated in the same ceremony. Father Francesco then transferred to the see of Pavia on March 26, 1505. The pope wrote to the king of France asking him to approve the transfer. He occupied the see until his death in 1511.

Cardinalate

Though many cardinals opposed the promotion, Cardinal Alidosi was created cardinal priest in the consistory of December 1, 1505; It was published December 12. He received the red hat and the title of Ss. Nereo ed Achilleo on December 17. He opted for the title of S. Cecilia, August 11, 1506.

The cardinal served as intermediary between Michelangelo Buonarroti and Pope Julius II and in 1506 signed in the name of the pope on the contract for the frescos of the Sistine Chapel. Later, he did the same for the statue of the pope in Bologna.

He was a protector of Desiderius Erasmus and patron of the arts.

Other Offices

* March 1507 Abbot commendatario of S. Lorenzo fuori le mura in Rome and Legate Viterbo
* January 1508 received the legatine faculties
* 1507 Administrator of the see of León and Legate in the province of Patrimonio di San Pietro
* March 25, 1508 took possession and occupied the post until his death
* May 19, 1508 until 1509 Legate in Bologna and Romagna

Bologna

Cardinal Alidosi was known for his cruelty. After taking possession of the legation in Bologna on June 27, 1508, he ordered Alberto Castelli, Innocenzo Ringhieri, Salustio Guidotti and Bartolomeo Magnani to be strangled. They were accused of 'having supported a conspiracy to favor the Bentivoglio', and for having worked with the Venetians against the pope. More than thirty other persons, supporters of the Bentivoglio, were also executed. These actions unleashed a great indignation among the Bolognese. Cardinal Pietro Bembo described him with these strong words: "Faith meant nothing to him, nor religion, nor trustworthiness, nor shame, and there was nothing in him that was holy."

On September 22, 1508, the cardinal went to Viterbo to visit the pope, who gave the legation in Bologna to Cardinal Ippolito d'Este of Ferrara. The following November, the pope recalled Cardinal Alidosi from the legation.

Ravena

Named legate in Romagna and Marche at the beginning of 1509; he took possession of Ravena on May 29, 1509 and left his brother Obizzo as governor. He was sent as envoy before the king of France and he arrived on June 19, 1509 together with Cardinal François Guillaume de Castelnau-Clermont-Ludève at Mantua. The king of France nominated him as bishop of Cremona without papal approval. On January 4,1510 the cardinal was recalled to Rome in order to answer to Pope Julius II about the complaints of the Bolognese.

Venice

Some theorize the pope recalled Cardinal Alidosi in order to make use of his experience to negotiate peace with Venice. An agreement was reached on February 24, 1510. After that the pope was forced to take a more accommodating attitude towards King Louis XII of France, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I and the duke of Ferrara for the independence of the Church and the freedom of Italy from foreigners.

Treason

In April 1510 many Bolognese notables were shocked to learn the pope returned the legation Bologna to Cardinal Alidosi. The Bolognese suspected him of dealing with the French while the fight against Venice was taking place. On October 7, 1510, while at the papal field near Modena, the duke of Urbino, had the cardinal captured, handcuffed and led back to Bologna escorted by 150 horsemen. Outside the door of St. Felice, twelve balestrieri removed the handcuffs and led him to the piazza. Here he was accused of high treason.

The duke of Urbino and citizens of Bologna were hoping he would be punished. Instead, the pope allowed him to defend himself, and, finding the accusations unjustified, ruled his favor. Cardinal Alidosi was named him apostolic administrator of the see of Bologna on October 18, 1510, a post which he occupied until his death.

On October 28, 1510, Cardinal Alidosi was again taken prisoner by the duke of Urbino for treason. The pope soon had him freed and given back all his honors.

Death

On May 14, 1511, the pope moved his residence from Bologna to Ravenna for security reasons, lodging in the monastery of St. Vitale of the Benedictines Cassinesi. The supporters of the Bentivoglio and those who opposed the power of the church revolted immediately. At about 10 p.m. on May 20, a disguised Cardinal Alidosi escaped to Castel del Rio, taking anything of value he carry. This action prompted the duke of Urbino, at the gates of the city, to abandon the field, along with all the artillery, nearly all the provisions, and numerous flags. On May 23, Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, head of the French army, entered Bologna with the Bentivoglio.

The pope notified the cardinals of the loss, and charged the duke of Urbino and the citizens of the town of treason. He wished for the duke to be executed, but instead, Duke Francesco Maria charged the cardinal with treason. From Castel del Rio, the cardinal went to Ravenna to tell his version of the tale. He was accompanied by his brother-in-law, Guido Vaini, and a legatine guard of 100 horsemen. Pope Julius II was convinced that the traitor had been the duke of Urbino. On May 24, 1511, the duke had an audience with the pope. He was reproached sourly, and exited from the audience with eight of his faithfuls. He went to the lodgings of cardinal Alidosi, who was staing with Cardinal Marco Vigero, near St. Vitale. At the same time, Cardinal Alidosi, accompanied by his guard, was heading for the apartments of the pope, who had invited him to supper. The cardinal made a salute to the duke, and, Francesco Maria, a youngster in the company of the duke, dismounted his horse angrily and advanced towards the cardinal. Taking the bridle of the mule that the cardinal was riding, he stabbed him in the side while screaming, 'Traditore, sei qui finalmente, ricevi quell che ti meriti!' (Traitor, you finally receive what you deserve).

The cardinal fell off the mule, and once on the ground, Captain Mondolfo cut the cardinal's cheek and one of his ears with a dagger, while Filippo Doria gave him the mortal blow in his head. The murderers left while the shocked company of the cardinal tended to him. Antonio Cavalli, gentiluomo Ravennatese, had the wounded cardinal carried home. With crucifix in hand, the cardinal exclaimed several times, 'propter peccata mea, propter peccata veniunt adversa' (for my sins, for my sins adversity came). After approximately an hour of agony Cardinal Francesco Alidosi died at 10 p.m. on May 24, 1511.

The remains of the cardinal were honored by Pope Julius II with solemn exequies in the cathedral of Ravenna, where they were interred. When the old cathedral was demolished in 1745 Dr. Gaspare Desiderio Martinetti, a physician, gave the cardinal's skull to the Benedictines of St. Vitale, so that it would not get mixed in with the other bones. From the Benedictines, it passed to the Classense Library and was exposed to the public. Later on, the legate, Cardinal Agostino Rivarola, had it removed and interred. From a recognition made on June 20, 1968, the traces of cleaving that he received on the head could still be noticed. In 1863 in via S. Vitale 2 in Ravenna, in the place where the fact happened, a commemorative plaque was placed (6). In the cathedral of Imola, there is a cenotaph surmounted by the effigy of the cardinal in a bass relief, and under it, a marble plaque that remembers him and others of his family. [ [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios1505.htm#Alidosi The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church - Biographical Dictionary - Consistory of December 1, 1505 ] ]

References