GIACINTO da CASALE MONFERRATO. — Born at Casale to the Natta counts on 21 January 1575; died there on 18 January 1627. He studied the humanities at Pavia, the sciences at Salamanca, and law at Bologna, and gained experience in diplomacy at the ducal court of Mantua. Having entered the Venetian Capuchins in 1601, he devoted himself with apostolic freedom to preaching, exercising a vigorous reforming influence over the crowds.
At the Diet of Regensburg in 1613, as theologian to Cardinal Madruzzi, he successfully opposed the policy of concessions to the Protestants favored by Emperor Matthias; he induced Ferdinand II to grant the Palatine electorate to the duke of Bavaria, thereby preserving the Catholic majority, and overcame, through intense activity and frequent journeys to the courts of Europe, the dangerous opposition of the princes; he reconciled the dukes of Parma and Mantua; he persuaded Gregory XV to occupy Valtellina with papal troops in order to preserve the balance and prevent war among the European powers.
In addition to political writings that have been lost, he left a Lenten sermon collection unpublished; he composed several ascetical pamphlets and a work on Franciscan poverty, translated into various languages.
Giancrisostomo da Cittadella