GHISLERI (CONSIGLIERI), PAOLO

GHISLERI (CONSIGLIERI), PAOLO. - Born in Rome in 1499 to Bartolomeo and Maria De' Stati, he died there piously on 14 Apr. 1557. An active member of the Oratory of Divine Love, he formed a friendship with Gian Pietro Carafa and, together with him, joined s. Gaetano Thiene in founding the new Order of Regular Clerics Theatines (14 Sept. 1524).

When Carafa was created cardinal by Paolo III (1536), G. lived with him as a confrère and effective collaborator in matters of Reform and in preparing the return of the Theatines to Rome, whence they had departed during the days of the Sack (1527). When Carafa himself became Pope Paolo IV, he kept G. with him in the Vatican as secret chamberlain and master of the household, and wished to appoint him « in pectore » to the cardinalitial purple, an honour that G. declined, continuing to live according to the rigorous Theatine Rule. He was also a canon of St Peter’s Basilica, and the Pope entrusted him with the task of restoring new splendour there to divine worship. There he was honourably buried by the wish and at the expense of Paolo IV himself.

NIBL.: A. Caracciolo, De vita Pauli Quarti Pont. Max. Collectanea historica..., Colonia 1612, pp. 275-81; G. Silos, Historiarum Clericorum Regularium..., I, Roma-Palermo 1650, pp. 1-3 and 8; G. Magenis, Vita di s. Gaetano, Venezia 1726, pp. 129-31; Pastor, IV-VI, passim: Relazione del p. A. Prato, in Regnum Dei, Collectanea Theatina, 4 (1945), p. 4 ff. Francesco Andreu

(photo: Arti Grafiche, Bergamo)
GHISLANDI, VITTORE - Self-portrait - Bergamo, Accademia Carrara.