Grimani, Domenico

GRIMANI, DOMENICO. - Cardinal, born in Venice on 22 February 1461 to Antonio, later doge, and to Caterina Loredan; he received his doctorate in arts on 23 October 1487 at Padua, acquired a reputation as a skilled philosopher, and was in contact with Pico della Mirandola, with Poliziano, and with Lorenzo de' Medici. Apostolic secretary and protonotary on 1 October 1491, through his father's influence he was created cardinal by Alexander VI on 20 September 1493 and on 13 September 1497 was named patriarch of Aquileia.

He consistently took the side of his Republic in dealings with Julius II during the War of the League of Cambrai. Having fallen out with Leo X, he left the Curia, or rather, upon the latter's death, the Medicean party, and he maintained excellent relations with Adrian VI. He died on 27 August 1523 in Rome; he was then bishop of Porto (from 20 January 1511). He was protector of the Franciscans at the time of the division of the Order; and he also had a part in the judgment of Johann Reuchlin. Famous was the library that the cardinal left in large part to the monastery of S. Antonio di Castello in Venice, which was later burned and dispersed. He built in Rome a villa on the site where the Palazzo Barberini later arose, and he collected medals, cameos, and ancient statues of great value, and furthermore paintings, and he bought the famous illuminated breviary that he left to his Republic together with a good part of the antiquities. - See plate LXXXV.