**MONTANARI, Giacomo.** – Minister General of the Conventual Franciscans, born in Bagnacavallo (Romagna) in 1570, died in Venice on 4 Nov. 1631. Master of students and bachelor at Bologna (1593–96), doctor of the College of St. Bonaventure in Rome (1596–99), he taught metaphysics at the University of Bologna (1600–1603), but was soon entrusted with various offices in the Order: provincial minister of Hungary (titular, 1607–16), procurator general (Aug. 1611), apostolic vicar (15 Sept. 1612–17), and 65th minister general (May 1617–23).
He visited the provinces of the Order, mostly on foot, promoting discipline, for which he had a special Manual of Formation and History compiled, as well as the Urban Constitutions (approved in 1628), and he fostered studies with his famous Reformatio studiorum, issued from Cologne after having solemnly examined and translated the relics of Bl. Duns Scotus (13–15 Jan. 1619). During his generalate, in 1619, the Capuchin Friars obtained from Paul V full autonomy, with their own minister general. After 1623, M. retired to Venice, where he also served as theologian to the Venetian Republic and was buried in the basilica of the Frari.
Learned and deeply pious, M. left numerous theological and ascetical writings, including: *De divinae sapientiae triumpho* (Rome 1599); *De S. R. Ecclesiae principatu et monarchia*, dedicated to Paul V (ibid. 1608); *Reformatio studiorum Ord. FF. MM. Conv. S. Francisci* (Perugia 1620), later codified in the Urban Constitutions; *Modo di far l’Oratione mentale* (Mondovì 1619); *Exercitiorum spiritualium liber, qui etiam mystica theologia nuncupari potest*... (Terni 1620; compiled from the writings of St. Bonaventure); manuals of formation and piety.
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