Capranica

CAPRANICA. - Two cardinals of this name. DOMENICO, b. at Capranica (Rome) on 31 May 1400, d. at Rome on 14 Aug. 1458. At the age of fifteen he attended the University of Padua, where he was a disciple of Giuliano Cesarini (later cardinal), and then that of Bologna, where he took his doctorate in law. Martin V Colonna, to whom he was related, appointed him at only 22 years of age a clerk of the Chamber and wanted him in his secretariat, where the most famous humanists were to be found. In 1423 he was sent together with Leonardo Dati to the Council of Siena, to suggest its dissolution to the legates. In 1424 he received the office of apostolic protonotary, and in Dec. he was appointed bishop of Fermo. He was a peacemaker between the Florentine Republic and the duke of Milan (1426), governor of Emilia, legate in the war of Bologna (1428), legate at Perugia (1430). On 8 Nov. of that year, Martin V, who certainly before 1426 had designated him cardinal sub secreto pontificio, proclaimed him cardinal deacon of the title of S. Maria in via Lata. But since the Pope had died before C. had gone to Rome for the customary ceremonies in consistory, when he presented himself to take part in the Conclave, the majority of the cardinals, hostile to him because he was a partisan of the Colonna family, refused to recognize him and sent him back to the legation of Perugia. Although this was contrary to the consistorial decree of 24 May 1426, he obeyed. Not even the new pope Eugene IV was willing to recognize the legitimacy of his appointment. Rome meanwhile was prey to the anti-Colonna faction, so that C. took refuge on the Soratte, awaiting in vain a change in the Pope's conduct. Since the Council of Basel had opened in those days, C. went there, not to accuse but to defend himself. In fact, while the Council recognized him as cardinal, the Roman commission declared him deprived of the cardinalatial dignity, of the bishopric of Fermo, of the legation of Perugia, and had his goods and palace confiscated (1432). Despite the wrong done to him, C. was moderate toward his adversaries and reverent toward the Pope, with whom only two years later the occasion for an agreement presented itself. A new judgment was made, and on 13 July 1434 card. Albergati imposed on C. the hat and the ring: the price of the reconciliation was the abandonment of the Council, which had become schismatic. Having thus returned to the Pope's favor, he received many and important assignments. He had a part in the union between the Greek and Latin Churches (1439); he was extraordinary legate in the war against Francesco Sforza, during which he was also wounded in the battle of Montolmo (19 Aug. 1443) and taken prisoner together with Piccinino. To him is chiefly due the detachment of Germany from the schismatic faction of Basel and its return to the ancient fidelity toward the Roman Church. He was a friend and collaborator of Nicholas V (who entrusted him, among other things, with extraordinary embassies to various Italian States for the organization of the war against the Turks [1453]), and of Callistus III. Excellent in works of piety, he always had at heart the morals of the clergy, and a project of his for the reform of the Church is in cod. Vat. lat. 4039, f. 16°-18. Concerned for good studies and for the formation of a learned and well-prepared clergy, he founded at the end of 1456 the Capranica college (v. COLLEGI ECCLESIASTICI). A good humanist and a seeker of codices, he assembled a library of over 2000 volumes, now for the most part passed with the Rossiano fund to the Vatican, where his manuscript works are also preserved, mostly on religious subjects; an Ars moriendi is attributed to him, published for the first time at Nuremberg without date. At the death of Callistus III, popular rumor proclaimed him pontiff, but he fell ill and piously expired. He is buried at Rome in the church of S. Maria sopra Minerva.

A brother of card. Domenico was ANGELO, himself also a cardinal and his emulator in austerity of morals. He was appointed on 17 March 1438 archbishop of Siponto; on 5 May 1447 bishop of Ascoli Piceno, on 25 Sept. 1450 of Rieti. He occupied himself at this time with the process of canonization of St. Bernardino of Siena. He was governor of Foligno and then of Bologna; he was promoted cardinal by Pius II on 5 March 1460. Having returned to Bologna as legate, he accompanied in 1469 the emperor Frederick III to Viterbo. In 1471 (3 Dec.) he received the appointment of legate a latere, with the task of visiting all the Italian princes to induce them to the Crusade against the Turks. On 11 Dec. 1472 he became bishop of Palestrina. In 1473 he was for a short time administrator of the church of Fermo, where he held a synod. Being commendatory abbot of the monastery of S. Bartolomeo of Ferrara, he ceded it (1468) to Bernardo della Casa, a monk of Settimiano, from whom it passed in perpetuity to the Cistercians of the Congregation of Tuscany. He was among the papabili in the Conclave of 1471. He died on 3 July 1478 and was buried at the Minerva.

Renata Orazi Ausenda