CAVALCANTI, ALDOBRANDINO

CAVALCANTI, ALDOBRANDINO. - Dominican preacher and writer, born in Florence in 1217, died there on 30 Aug. 1279. He became a religious in the convent of S. Maria Novella in his native city (1231), where he was several times prior (1245-50, 1256) and successfully endeavoured to promote the construction and embellishment of the church and convent. He was also prior at Lucca (1261-62), then Roman provincial (1262-68). He was sent as ambassador of peace by Urban IV to the Pisans and Lucchese, who were at war (1263), and by Clement IV to the Florentines (1266), who had been struck by censures; in 1272 he was made bishop of Orvieto. During the Council of Lyons he was Gregory X’s vicar in Rome. He left several volumes of Sermones (Padua, University Library, cod. 646).