CONTARELI, MATTEO. — Cardinal, born in 1519 at Morannes (Maine-et-Loire). He studied in Bologna, where he met Ugo Boncompagni (later Pope Gregory XIII), who, upon moving to Rome, recommended him to Pope Pius IV as a companion, in the capacity of datary, to Cardinal Ippolito d’Este, legate in France. Upon his return, he followed the Alexandrian cardinal, Michele Bonelli, nephew of St. Pius V, who was sent as legate to the courts of Europe for the league against the Turks.
At the time of his election, Gregory XIII took Contareli as his datary, who, as a contemporary wrote, «is of great repute and has always advanced in the grace of Our Lord» (Pastor, IX, 873); and indeed his integrity and ability were always appreciated, but the Pope created him cardinal only on 13 December 1583.
He died in Rome on 29 September 1585 and was buried in the church of S. Luigi dei Francesi, whose façade he had had built.