BIRAGO, RENATO. - Cardinal, born in Milan on 2 February 1506 to Galeazzo, who was ambassador of the Duke of Milan in France. He lived at the court of the kings of France, holding very high offices. Left a widower, he entered the ecclesiastical career, and was ambassador of Charles IX at the Council of Trent (1563) and to the emperors Ferdinand and Maximilian. In 1570 he was appointed keeper of the seals by Charles IX himself in the crown's secret council; it is uncertain whether he influenced the decision for the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre (Aug. 1572). Created cardinal in 1578, he nevertheless retained the title of keeper of the seals. For his implacability toward the Protestants he was called the "hammer of heretics." Died in Paris on 14 Nov. 1583.
He is buried in the abbey of St. Catherine of the Scholars in Paris; two statues from his mausoleum remain in the Louvre.
Bibliography3 worksA. Masson, Elogium R. B., card. et cancell. Franciae, Paris 1583; L. Courajod, Germain Pilon et le tombeau de B. par devant notaires, ibid.
BIBL.: A. Masson, Elogium R. B., card. et cancell. Franciae, Paris 1583; L. Courajod, Germain Pilon et le tombeau de B. par devant notaires, ibid. 1878; J. Monicat, Birague, in DIIG, VIII, coll. 1523-24.
Orazi, Ausenda Renata. “Birago, renato.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. II, col. 1668. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1949. https://azioneromana.com/article/birago-renato.
MLA
Orazi, Ausenda Renata. “Birago, renato.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. II, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1949, col. 1668. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/birago-renato.
BibTeX
@incollection{ec2_birago_renato,
author = {Orazi, Ausenda Renata},
title = {Birago, renato},
booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
volume = {II},
pages = {1668},
note = {Cited by column},
publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
address = {Città del Vaticano},
year = {1949},
url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/birago-renato}
}
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