AMADEO, JOÃO DA SILVA Y MENEZES

AMADEO, JOÃO DA SILVA Y MENEZES. - Portuguese Franciscan, born into a noble family between 1420 and 1435, died at Milan in 1484. He is called Amadeus lusitanus (not hispanus), but he left no trace of himself in Portugal or Spain. Around the middle of the fifteenth century he arrived in Italy in the garb of a pilgrim and, having become a Franciscan, founded a Congregation of Reformed Franciscans which, starting from the convent of Oreno near Vimercate, spread especially in Lombardy, with a convent in Milan (S. Maria della Pace); it also had one in Rome (S. Pietro in Montorio). He also lived in the latter city, and Sisto IV chose him as his confessor. His friars were called Amedeiti and were united to the Minors by s. Pio V in 1568. Two works that do not belong to him are attributed to him: a Nova Apocalypse and a book of Homilies; the latter are in fact by a Cistercian monk, later bishop of Lausanne. Some documents concerning him and his religious activity were recently published.