SODERINI, FRANCESCO. - Cardinal, b. in Florence in 1453, d. in Rome on 17 May 1524.
He was a familiar of Sixtus IV when, at the age of 24, he was appointed bishop of Volterra on 11 March 1478. Brother of Piero, who after the expulsion of the Medici was gonfaloniere of Florence, he supported his party until he in turn was driven out by the Medici in 1512, and with him he shared an aversion to that house. Not without great expense he was created cardinal by Alexander VI on 31 May 1503, but he did not resign Volterra until 23 May 1509; meanwhile he had received in commendam the bishopric of Saintes on 27 Jan. 1507 and held it until 1514; he was in fact a follower of the French party, as he showed in the Conclave of Sept. 1503. He took part in the Conclave from which Leo X emerged; he was reconciled with him and seemed his friend; but he was accused of having in some way taken part in the conspiracy of Card. Petrucci and fined 12,000 ducats (8 June 1517), whereupon he fled to Palestrina and then to the Kingdom [of Naples], and did not return to Rome until the death of Leo. In the Conclave (Dec. 1521) he led the opposition against Cardd. Giulio de' Medici and Alessandro Farnese; and as a skilful man of government he made himself powerful with Adrian VI. But because of excessive favour in French affairs he was imprisoned in Castel Sant'Angelo (27 Apr. 1523) and subjected to trial. Although this was still pending, he was admitted to the Conclave in Oct. 1523, and was then reconciled with Giulio de' Medici, who emerged from it as Pope Clement VII, and received amnesty from him. S., who on 12 June 1514 had received in commendam the bishopric of Vicenza and in 1517 also that of Anagni, was also bishop of Ostia from 18 Dec. 1523 and dean of the Sacred College. He had built in the Borgo a palace, now destroyed, next to the likewise important one of Card. Castellesi.
Bibliography
Pio Paschini