Salviati, Family

SALVIATI, FAMILY. - Of Florence. The first of the S. of whom there is certain record is CAMBIO di SALVI, gonfaloniere of justice in Florence in 1335, and his descendants held high offices during the republican period. FRANCESCO, from 14 Oct. 1474 archbishop of Pisa, offended at not having obtained the see of Florence because of Lorenzo de' Medici, took part in the Pazzi conspiracy and was killed in 1478. ALAMANNO married Caterina di Averardo de' Medici and was the father of GIOVANNI; the latter's son, IACOPO, husband of Lucrezia di Lorenzo de' Medici, defended Florentine liberty in 1530 and died in 1533. Of Iacopo's children, MARIA married Giovanni delle Bande Nere and was the mother of Cosimo I; GIOVANNI was a cardinal; BERNARDO (d. 1568), bishop of Clermont, was named cardinal in 1561.

From another branch came ALAMANNO di AVERARDO, who was among the leading Florentines in the Savonarolan period and died in 1509. His daughter MARIA married Francesco Guicciardini. In the 16th century mention should also be made of LEONARDO (1540-89), a member of the Accademia della Crusca, a critic of Tasso, but a learned grammarian and competent in questions of language; ALESSANDRO di PIETRO, who defended Siena in 1544 and was put to death by order of Cosimo I; LORENZO di IACOPO, who received the title of marquis from Clement VIII and that of duke from Urban VIII.

A group of cardinals of this family stands out throughout the 16th century: the first was GIOVANNI, son of Iacopo S., papal secretary, and of Lucrezia de' Medici, sister of Leo X, b. in Florence on 25 March 1490, created cardinal deacon on 1 July 1517. He held the bishopric of Fermo in commendam from 8 Feb. 1518 and kept it until 1521; then that of Ferrara from 12 Sept. 1520, and kept it until 1 May 1550. Clement VII sent him as legate to Lombardy in 1524 and in 1525 after the battle of Pavia to negotiate peace. He was present as legate in France during the sack of Rome (1527); and, though with little prudence, he worked for the liberation of the Pope; then he was present at Bologna at the coronation of Charles V (1530). From Clement VII he held in commendam the bishoprics of Volterra from 30 July 1530 (until 1532) and of Teano from 21 June 1531 (until 1535), the archbishopric of S. Severina from 15 Nov. 1531 (until 1535), the bishopric of Bitetto from 10 Jan. 1532 (until 1539); on 16 Nov. 1533 he was appointed legate in Rome during the Pope's absence. With the death of Clement VII all the cardinal's influence ceased; he held in commendam from 12 Aug. 1538 the bishopric of St-Papoul in France and became bishop of Albano on 7 Jan. 1543. He died at Ravenna on 28 Oct. 1553. Brother of Card. Giovanni was BERNARDO, a knight of St. John, who as such fought in the Mediterranean on the ships of the order and was prior of Rome. He received the bishopric of St-Papoul on 5 June 1549 through his brother's resignation and on 8 Aug. 1561 that of Clermont, which he held until March 1568; he was also almoner of Queen Catherine de' Medici. Pius IV created him cardinal on 26 Feb. 1561; d. in Rome on 6 May 1568.

Nephew of the two preceding was ANTON MARIA S., also a knight of St. John, b. on 21 Jan. 1537, who received the bishopric of St-Papoul through his uncle's resignation on 8 Aug. 1561 and held it until 1567. He was nuncio in France for Pius IV; a cleric of the Camera, he also held other offices in the Curia, until Gregory XIII created him cardinal of S. Maria in Aquiro on 12 Dec. 1583, and Sixtus V sent him as legate to Bologna in 1585. Until 1579, as prelate-guardian of the hospital of S. Giacomo in Augusta, he provided for the rebuilding of that hospital and in 1592 also for that of the church. He also rebuilt his church of S. Maria in Aquiro and provided for the adjoining orphanage with a new endowment. He extended his provisions to the hospital for women in childbirth at S. Rocco and to the Celate. He died in Rome on 28 Apr. 1602. Later ALAMANNO S., b. in Florence on 22 March 1669, nuncio in France in 1707, created cardinal by Benedict XIII on 8 Feb. 1730, was prefect of the Segnatura di Giustizia in 1731; d. in Rome on 24 Feb. 1733. GREGORIO S., b. in Rome on 12 Dec. 1722, made his prelatial career as cleric and then auditor of the Camera, until he was created cardinal deacon by Pius VI on 23 June 1777; d. in Rome on 5 Aug. 1794. Gregorio, a niece of his having married Francesco Borghese, left him heir to the name and title; consequently SCIPIONE (1823-92), son of Francesco, called himself S. After 1870 Scipione was head of the Catholic movement in Italy.

Roberto Palmarocchi