GRIMANI, DOMENICO. - Cardinal, born in Venice on 22 February 1461 to Antonio, later doge, and Caterina Loredan; he received his doctorate in arts on 23 October 1487 at Padua, gained renown as a distinguished philosopher, and was associated with Pico della Mirandola, Poliziano, and Lorenzo de' Medici. Apostolic secretary and protonotary on 1 October 1491, through his father's efforts he was created cardinal by Alessandro VI on 20 September 1493 and, on 13 September 1497, appointed patriarch of Aquileia.
He consistently supported his Republic's cause before Giulio II during the War of Cambrai. Having fallen out with Leone X, he left the Curia, or, upon the latter's death, the Medici party, and maintained excellent relations with Adriano VI. He died on 27 August 1523 in Rome; at that time he was bishop of Porto (from 20 January 1511). He was protector of the Franciscans at the time of the division of the Order; he also took part in the proceedings against Giovanni Reuchlin. Famous was the library that the cardinal left largely to the monastery of S. Antonio di Castello in Venice, which was later burned and dispersed. In Rome he built a villa on the site where Palazzo Barberini later arose and collected medals, cameos, ancient statues of great value, as well as paintings; he also purchased the famous illuminated breviary, which he left to his Republic together with a large part of the antiquities. - Vedi tav. LXXXV.