SEYSSEL, CLAUDIO di. — Archbishop of Turin between 1450 and 1460, died in Turin on 30 May 1520. He studied at the University of Pavia and then at that of Turin, where he graduated in both laws in 1486 and immediately began teaching civil law.
Counsellor to the Duke of Savoy, he entered the service of Louis XII, who held him in high esteem: from royal counsellor in the Parliament of Toulouse, he moved to the Royal Senate of Milan and in 1506 was made maître des requêtes. He served the king in various embassies, in particular on the occasion of the Conciliabulum of Pisa (1511) and the subsequent reconciliation with the Prete of Lyon, the pope. After a temporary administration of the bishopric of Lodi (1509), he was elected by the Chapter Bishop of Marseille on 9 July 1509, but did not
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take possession of II. He was transferred to Turin on 11 May 1517. Besides letters and speeches, he left a translation of Xenophon and in particular the Tractatus de triplici statu viatoris, dedicated to Leo X (Turin 1518), the Tractatus de divina providentia (Paris 1520), and a brief and popular Tractatus adversus errores et sectam Valdensium (ibid. 1520), important for knowing their doctrines at that time. To exalt the French monarchy he composed in 1515 the Grant monarchie de France, printed in Paris in 1519.
Children of Francesco were Niccolò, who became pope under the name of Gregory XIV (v.) for a few months, and Paolo, who married Sigismonda d'Este and continued the family; he was a senator of Milan and died before his brother in 1587. Four daughters, together with their aunt Giulia, became nuns among the Angeliche in Milan, renowned for their great virtue. The S. family was always linked to the Barnabites through great friendship. A son of Paolo was PAOLO CAMILLO (also found under the name of Emilio) b. in 1561, whom his uncle Gregory XIV created cardinal on 19 Dec. 1500 and wished to have near him as Secretary of State. In his youth he had frequented the circle that gathered around St Philip Neri, but later showed himself eager to enrich himself and his own, even abusing the confidence placed in him by his uncle the pope. On 13 Sept. he obtained the bishopric of Cremona and died on 14 Feb. 1618. With him there had come to Rome his brothers ERCOLE, Duke of Montemarciano, general of the Church, who served in the League in France; and FRANCESCO, general of the galleys, marquis of Montafia (1591).
Renata Orazì Ausenda
Sfondrati, FAMILY — Funerary monument of Cardinal Paolo Camillo S., work of C. Maderno (1618) — Rome, church of St Cecilia.