ADIMARI, ALEMANNO

ADIMARI, ALEMANNO. - Cardinal, born in Firenze, perhaps in 1362, died in Roma between 17 and 27 Sept. 1422. He held a canonry and then a parish in his native city. Elected bishop of Firenze by Bonifacio IX (13 Nov. 1400), he was unable to take possession of his see and was transferred to the archdiocese of Taranto (16 Nov. 1401) and then to that of Pisa (3 Nov. 1406), which he resigned in 1411. He took part in the council held in that city (1408–1409) and adhered to the pope elected there, Alessandro V, and to his successor Giovanni XXIII. As legate of the latter in France, he succeeded in overcoming the hostility of the Sorbonne and obtained the imposition of a new tithe on the clergy; together with Pietro, bishop of Albi, he was entrusted with its collection. As a reward, he was created cardinal of the title of S. Eusebio (6 July 1411). He remained in Paris as legate of Giovanni XXIII until the autumn of 1412, and then returned there from March 1413 to Nov. 1414 with the task of preparing minds for the Council of Constance. He took part in it and also won the friendship of the new pope, Martino V (1417–31), who in 1418 sent him as legate to Aragona in order to detach it from Benedetto XIII. He achieved nothing and returned to Roma (1419), where he died. He is buried in the original church of S. Maria in Vallicella.