TREVISANO, LODOVICO

TREVISANO, LODOVICO. — Cardinal, son of maestro Biagio, doctor of arts and medicine, born in Venice in Nov. 1401, died in Rome on 22 March 1465.

He received his degree in arts and medicine at Padua on 9 July 1425; he began as physician to Cardinal Gabriele Condulmer and became a member of his household when he became Pope Eugenio IV. A writer of apostolic letters, he became bishop of Traù on 24 Oct. 1435, then archbishop of Florence on 6 Aug. 1437, and in that capacity signed the decrees of the Council in 1439. In that same year he was appointed patriarch of Aquileia, where he almost never resided, and was appointed chamberlain on 11 Jan. 1440. In March 1440 he took command of the Church’s troops as legate, after the assassination of the Cardinal.

(courtesy of His Excellency Monsignor P. Paschini)
TREVISANO, LODOVICO – Portrait of Card. L. T. (formerly believed to belong to the Scarampi family), work of A. Mantegna (ca. 1459). Berlin, Friedrich Museum.

Vitelleschi (v.); and he fought first in the Patrimony, then in Tuscany against Niccolò Piccinino, whom he defeated at Anghiari on 20 June 1440 to the advantage of Florence. For this achievement he was created cardinal on 1 July. Soon afterward, as legate in Romagna, he waged war against those lords and cities, unsuccessfully attempting to gain possession of Bologna. Then, together with Filippo M. Visconti and Piccinino, he fought in the March against Francesco Sforza (March 1442). His negotiations with Alfonso d'Aragona, concluded at Terracina on 14 June 1443, enabled Eugenio IV to return to Rome. After the struggle with Sforza resumed, following the short-lived Peace of Perugia (9 October 1444), he again took up arms, allied with Naples and Milan, in 1445–46; until the death of Eugenio IV (23 February 1447) altered the course of events. Meanwhile, he had also become bishop of Cava (14 September 1444), abbot of Vangadizza and of Chiaravalle (Milan) in January and November 1445, and later also of Montecassino (18 May 1454). Callisto III again turned to him for the war against the Turks. Having built a fleet on the Tiber, T. set out for the eastern seas on 31 May 1456. He was at Rhodes and Mytilene, and returned in 1458. Under Pio II he attended the Congress of Mantua (1459–60); as bishop of Albano, he provided for the needs of the locality. He died immensely wealthy, although he had led a lavish life, also devoted to gambling, more like a condottiero than a prelate.