PRIULI, ALVISE. — Man of letters and prelate, born in Venice at the beginning of the sixteenth century, died in Padua on 15 July 1560. He belonged to the Paduan circle that formed around Pietro Bembo, devoted to the cultivation and love of Latin and Italian literature: he was a friend of Antonio Brocardo, Trifon Gabriele, Lazzaro Bonamico, Benedetto Lampridio, Camillo Delminio, PATARINI (v.); he also maintained relations with Francesco Maria Molza, Francesco Berni, and Bernardo Tasso.
When Reginald Polo came to Padua, P. received him as a guest and subsequently remained his constant household companion after Polo, having been created a cardinal on 22 December 1536, settled in Rome and was repeatedly appointed papal legate. At Polo’s residence, while he was legate in Viterbo, he came into contact with Vittoria Colonna, Marco Antonio Flaminio, Pietro Carnesecchi, and others, and was accused of having supported with them those doctrines concerning Grace that had a Lutheran character, on account of which Paolo IV later considered him suspect of heresy. Sent in 1542 to prepare for the Council at Trent, he was subsequently joined there by Polo, who had been sent there as legate for the first time. Both were in Viterbo in 1543; but P. accompanied Polo to Trent when he returned there as legate. He refused to serve as secretary of the Council and followed Polo when the latter left the Council on 28 June 1546. He was executor of Bembo’s will, and in 1551 Julius III granted him provision for the bishopric of Brescia, which in the meantime was conferred upon Cardinal Durante. In 1554 he followed Polo to England and shared with him the severity of Paolo IV, as a result of which his provision for Brescia was withdrawn in 1556. After Polo’s death in November 1558, P. remained in England as his executor until the end of 1559. He was in Padua on 3 May 1560 and died there, while arrangements were being made for his rehabilitation. Apart from a few letters, only a number of Latin compositions in verse are extant by him.