ALEANDRO, GIROLAMO. - Cardinal, b. at Motta, in Friuli, on 13 February 1480, d. at Rome on 1 February 1542. He first studied in his homeland, at Pordenone, at Venice, and then at Padua, where he took his degree in philosophy and theology. He learned Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldean and other Oriental languages. In 1500 at Venice he became a member of the Academy of Aldus Manutius and formed a friendship with Erasmus of Rotterdam, from whom he soon parted. In 1508, after the League of Cambrai, he went to France and lived almost always in Paris. He held a chair at the university and taught Latin, Hebrew, Chaldean and particularly Greek. He was granted by Louis XII the privilege of "naturality," by which he was considered and treated as a native Frenchman, and on 18 March 1513 he was appointed rector of the University of Paris. The following year he became counsellor and secretary of Erard de la Mark, bishop and prince of Liège, who in 1516 sent him to Rome to try to obtain for him the cardinalate. On 27 July 1519 he was appointed by Leo X librarian of the Vatican, and the following year he was sent as apostolic nuncio to the Emperor Charles V with the special task of combating the Lutheran heresy.
He reached the Emperor in Flanders, and immediately obtained the execution of the bull that condemned the 41 propositions of Luther and the destruction of his books. He followed Charles V to Aachen, where he attended his coronation, and then to Cologne, in whose Academy, with the authority of the Emperor and in the presence of the foremost princes of Germany, he again debated concerning Luther. He took part finally in the Diet of Worms, where, on 8 May 1521, the famous edict was promulgated by which Luther was judged and condemned as a heretic. After the deaths of Leo X and Adrian VI, A. was created by Clement VII archbishop of Brindisi and Oria, and on that very same day he was also appointed apostolic nuncio to Francis I with the particular mission of obtaining peace between the Emperor and the king of France. During the battle of Pavia, on 24 February 1525, he was taken prisoner, and only on 3 August of the same year could he return to Rome, where the following year his house was destroyed by the Colonna. From 1527 to 1529 he attended to his diocese; in 1531 he was sent again to Germany to the Emperor Charles V. He took part in the Diet of Regensburg and was one of the principal advocates of the war against the Turks. From 1533 to 1535 he was sent as nuncio to Venice. He was of great help to Paul III for the negotiations of the Council. On 13 March 1538 he was created cardinal with the title of St. Chrysogonus, and on the 20th of the same month legate to the council that was to have assembled at Vicenza. He was sent again to Germany, but since there was no possibility of agreement with the Lutherans and peace between Francis I and Charles V had not yet been established, the Council was postponed indefinitely and A. returned to Rome, where he died.
A. published numerous Greek and Latin school works. There also survive still unpublished treatises on theology, philosophy and philology, writings concerning the reform of the Church, and the correspondence relating to his various missions.
Bibliography8 works
Emma Santovito