CLARIO, ISIDORO. — Bishop, exegete, and orator, born at Chiari (Brescia) in 1495 and died at Foligno on 28 May 1555. His name was Taddeo Cucchi: he was called Clarius from the Latinized name of his native town; Isidoro is his name in religious life. C. became a Benedictine monk at S. Giovanni di Parma on 24 June 1517; he was abbot of S. Giacomo di Pontida and then of S. Maria di Cesena. He took part in the Council of Trent. Made bishop of Foligno by Paul III, C. promoted wise reforms, including reforms concerning studies. He wrote a great deal, almost exclusively on the Bible.
His most important work was the Vulgata editio Novi et Veteris Testamenti etc., Venice 1541–42, in which he sought to assess and perfect the standard edition of the Bible by comparing it with the original texts and ancient manuscripts. From a critical standpoint the work was judged variously, nor were harsh censures lacking for its dependence on Sebastiano Münster. The Vulgata editio, which was reprinted by the Protestants in the Critici sacri (v. London 1660), brought upon the author an ecclesiastical condemnation because of the preface and the prolegomena, judged too subservient to heretical criticism. In a second (posthumous) edition, under the title Bibbia sacramenta etc. (Venice 1557–64), the censurable passages were corrected.
Other works by C.: Adhortatio ad concordiam (Milan 1450); In Cantica Canticorum scholia etc. (Venice 1544); In Evangelium secundum Lucam orationes 54 (ibid. 1565); In sermonem Domini in monte habitum secundum Matthaeum orationes 69 (ibid. 1566); Orationum quas extraordinarias appellant libri 2 (ibid. 1567); Epistolae (Modena 1705); etc.