VIGERIO, MARCO

VIGERIO, MARCO. – In the world Emanuele, cardinal and theologian of the Conventual Franciscans, b. at Savona in 1446, d. at Rome on 18 July 1516.

Nephew of Marco Vigerio and great-nephew of Francesco della Rovere, he entered the Order probably in the convent of Savona, when Della Rovere was minister general (1464–67). He was professor of theology at the University of Padua and at the Studium Generale of the Santo, where he was also Co-regent together with his confrere Antonio Trombetta. When Della Rovere was elected pope under the name Sixtus IV (9 Aug. 1471), V. embarked upon the highest offices. Awarded the mastership in theology, he held the theological chair at the Sapienza in Rome; he was elected bishop and prefect of Senigallia on 6 Oct. 1476 and promoted master of the Sacred Palaces (1484). In the diocese and in the Marches prefecture he restored order and justice, administered the Church’s possessions wisely, devoted himself to letters and the arts, and rebuilt the episcopal palace. Julius II appointed him governor of Castel S. Angelo; on 1 Dec. 1505 he was made cardinal; in 1506, as cardinal protector of the Friars Minor, he presided, together with Cardinal Grimani, over the general chapter held in Rome at SS. Apostoli. The following year he was papal delegate to the general chapter of the Minims (28 Dec. 1507), toward whom he rendered distinguished services. Meanwhile he was engaged in publishing some of his works, such as the Decachordum christianum (Fano 1507), which includes the De annuntiatione b. M. Virginis, and the Controversia de excellentia instrumentorum Dominicae passionis (Rome 1508). During the war between Julius II and Alfonso d’Este of Ferrara, he was appointed legate of the papal troops (11 Dec. 1510) and displayed uncommon ability and qualities in the capture of Concordia and the siege of Mirandola.

On 29 Oct. 1511 V. transferred to the suburbicarian see of Palestrina and composed an apology for Julius II against the accusations of the Conciliabulum of Pisa (Nov. 1511); he presented it to the Fifth Lateran Council (1512), but did not complete it because of the Pope’s death (21 Feb. 1513). At the Council he had also presented his own solution to the problem of the calendar, and his data constituted a contribution to the definitive settlement of the question. He resigned the see of Senigallia in favor of his nephew Marco Quinto Vigerio on 9 May 1513; he followed the new pontiff Leo X to Viterbo after the victory of Francesco I; he attended their meeting at Bologna (11–18 Oct. 1515); and, having returned to Rome, died there at the age of 70 and was buried in S. Maria in Trastevere. Among his works, besides those already mentioned, are: Dialogus de tollendis abusibus, mentioned in his Decachordum (Fano 1507); De praecipuis Verbi incarnati mysteriis (Douai 1604); De vita, morte et resurrectione

Domini (there 1616); Vita et Regula s. Francisci Paulani (Brescia 1518); Declaraciones in Regulam s. Francisci de Paula (there 1518). In these works he reveals himself as a theologian, humanist, and shepherd of souls. Ciatti (III, 61) defends his honorable life against the assertions of Ciaconius.