The Apostolic Nunciature to Cologne (also it, Nunziatura di Germania inferiore, i.e. ''Nunciature of Lower Germany'') was an ecclesiastical office of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

established in 1584. The nuncios were accredited to the Archbishop-Electorates of Cologne,

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...

and

Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...

. It was a

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

ic post of the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

, whose representative was called the Apostolic

Nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international or ...

at Cologne, one of the states of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

. The office of the nunciature was located in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

until 1795, when France occupied the city. The last nuncio, officiating until 1804, resided in

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...

, while the Archbishop-Electorate had been dissolved in 1803. Two nuncios and one apostolic delegate at Cologne later became popes:

Pope Urban VII Pope Urban VII ( la, Urbanus VII; it, Urbano VII; 4 August 1521 – 27 September 1590), born Giovanni Battista Castagna, was head of the Catholic Church, and ruler of the Papal States from 15 to 27 September 1590. His thirteen-day papacy was th ...

Pope Alexander VII Pope Alexander VII ( it, Alessandro VII; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death in May 1667. He began his career as a vice- papal legate, an ...

and

Pope Leo XII Pope Leo XII ( it, Leone XII; born Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiorre Girolamo Nicola della Genga (; 2 August 1760 – 10 February 1829), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 28 September 1823 to his death ...

History

An apostolic nuncio at Cologne was appointed in 1584 on the instigation of

Emperor Rudolph II Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). He was a member of the Hous ...

of the Holy Roman Empire. Following the Council of Trient,

apostolic delegate An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international o ...

s had already been appointed at Cologne in order to contain the spreading of

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

in the Empire. The Archbishop-Electorate of Cologne was chosen for being a stronghold of Catholicism in the northwest of the Empire in vicinity to areas where

Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...

(

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

East Frisia East Frisia or East Friesland (german: Ostfriesland; ; stq, Aastfräislound) is a historic region in the northwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is primarily located on the western half of the East Frisian peninsula, to the east of West Frisia ...

Lippe Lippe () is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Herford, Minden-Lübbecke, Höxter, Paderborn, Gütersloh, and district-free Bielefeld, which forms the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe. The d ...

) and

Lutheranism Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

(elsewhere in

Northern Germany Northern Germany (german: link=no, Norddeutschland) is a linguistic, geographic, socio-cultural and historic region in the northern part of Germany which includes the coastal states of Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Lower Saxony an ...

) were gaining more and more support. The Rhenish Archbishop-Electorates were further important as providing already three of the then-seven votes within the election body for the imperial successors. The political role of the apostolic nuncio at Cologne was essential for participating in some events of political life of the Empire such as the imperial diets (in 1594 and 1622) and the imperial elections in Frankfurt upon Main (in 1612 and 1658). The nuncio also participated in the negotiations of the

Peace of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia (german: Westfälischer Friede, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought pea ...

(1644-1648) in

Münster Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state distr ...

and

Osnabrück Osnabrück (; wep, Ossenbrügge; archaic ''Osnaburg'') is a city in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population ...

, ending the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...

, the

Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1668) __NOTOC__ The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle or Aachen ended the War of Devolution between France and Spain. It was signed on 2 May 1668 in Aachen (french: Aix-la-Chapelle). Spain acceded on 7 May 1669. The treaty was mediated and guaranteed by th ...

's abandon in the

Franco–Dutch War The Franco-Dutch War, also known as the Dutch War (french: Guerre de Hollande; nl, Hollandse Oorlog), was fought between France and the Dutch Republic, supported by its allies the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Brandenburg-Prussia and Denmark-Nor ...

(1673-1674), and the

Peace of Utrecht The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne of ...

(1713). Besides Cologne, Mainz, and Trier, the nuncios could wield their jurisdiction undisputedly for the prince-bishoprics of

Hildesheim Hildesheim (; nds, Hilmessen, Hilmssen; la, Hildesia) is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany with 101,693 inhabitants. It is in the district of Hildesheim, about southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste River, a small tributary of the Lei ...

Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...

Paderborn Paderborn (; Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader and ''Born'', an old German term for t ...

, and

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg is ...

. In 1596, the Low Countries (Netherlands) were detached from the nunciature of Cologne, receiving their own nuncio in Brussels. On the instigation of

Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria Charles Theodore (german: link=no, Karl Theodor; 11 December 1724 – 16 February 1799) reigned as Prince-elector and Count Palatine from 1742, as Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1742 and also as prince-elector and Duke of Bavaria from 1777 to his ...

, another nunciature was established by

Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI ( it, Pio VI; born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to his death in August 1799. Pius VI condemned the French Revoluti ...

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

. This caused a conflict between the nunciature at Cologne and the

Apostolic Nunciature to Bavaria Apostolic may refer to: The Apostles An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission: *The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles * Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Chur ...

as to their competences. The appointment of Giulio Cesare Zoglio as Bavarian nuncio angered the archbishop-electors of Cologne, Mainz, and Trier, who considered the nuncio to Cologne to be competent for all the Empire.

Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 unt ...

, sided with the electors, and declared he would recognise nuncios in their "political character" only. The nunciature at Cologne ceased to exist in 1804. After the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...

, the nunciature was not reestablished, while the Bavarian nunciature, also interrupted in 1800 during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, resurged in 1818 and persisted until 1934.

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

as a whole concluded diplomatic ties with the Holy See on 1 May 1920, establishing the

Apostolic Nunciature to Germany The Apostolic Nunciature to Germany is an ecclesiastical office of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio to Germany with the rank of an ambassador. ...

Apostolic delegates at Cologne

* 1520:

Hieronymus Aleander Girolamo Aleandro (also Hieronymus Aleander; 13 February 14801 February 1542) was an Italian cardinal, and . Life Aleandro was born on 13 February 1480 in Motta di Livenza, in the province of Treviso, part of the Republic of Venice. He studied ...

* 1573–1576: Kaspar Gropper, ranked nuncio * 1576–1578:

Bartolomeo Portia Bartolomeo or Bartolommeo is a masculine name, masculine Italian name, Italian given name, the Italian language, Italian cognate, equivalent of Bartholomew (name), Bartholomew. Its Italian diminutive, diminutive form is Baccio. Notable people with t ...

* 1578–1579: Giovanni Battista Castagna, future Pope Urban VII * 1583: Minutio Minucci * 1583: Giovanni Francesco Bonomi, Bishop of

Vercelli Vercelli (; pms, Vërsèj ), is a city and ''comune'' of 46,552 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, ...

Apostolic nuncios at Cologne

*1584–1587: Giovanni Francesco Bonomi (= Bonhomini), Bishop of

*1587–1596:

Ottavio Mirto Frangipani Ottavio Mirto Frangipani (11 April 1544 – 24 July 1612) was an Italian bishop and papal diplomat, who as papal nuncio to Cologne (1587–1596) and to Brussels (1596–1606) oversaw the implementation of Tridentine reforms in the Rhineland and ...

, bishop of Cajazzo, bishop of

Tricarico Tricarico ( nap, label= Lucano, Trëcàrëchë ; ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Matera, Basilicata, southern Italy. It is home to one of the best preserved medieval historical centres in Lucania. Etymology The origin of the nam ...

since 1592 *1593/98–1606: Coriolano Garzadoro, Bishop of Ossero *1606–1610:

Attilio Amalteo Attilio Amalteo (1545–1633) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Apostolic Nuncio to Germany (1606–1610) and Titular Archbishop of ''Athenae'' (1606–1633). ''(in Latin)''Antonio Albergati, bishop of

Bisceglie Bisceglie (; nap, label= Biscegliese, Vescégghie) is a city and municipality of 55,251 inhabitants in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, in the Apulia region (''Italian'': ''Puglia''), in southern Italy. The municipality has the fourth hig ...

*1621–1624:

Pietro Francesco Montoro Pietro is an Italian language, Italian masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: People * Pietro I Candiano (c. 842–887), briefly the 16th Doge of Venice * Pietro Tribuno (died 912), 17th Doge of Venice, from 887 to his dea ...

, bishop of

Nicastro Nicastro (, ''new castle'') is a small town in the province of Catanzaro, in the Calabria region of southern Italy. Since 1968 it constitutes, together with Sambiase and Sant'Eufemia Lamezia, the city of Lamezia Terme. Geography It is situa ...

*1624–1634:

Pier Luigi Carafa Pier Luigi Carafa (Senior) (18 July 1581, Naples, Italy – 15 February 1655, Rome, during the conclave) was a cardinal of the Catholic Church, and a member of the Roman Curia.Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in Engla ...

, bishop of Tricarico *1634–1639: Martino Alfieri, archbishop of Isola,

Archbishop of Cosenza The Italian Catholic archdiocese of Cosenza-Bisignano in Calabria has been a metropolitan see since 2001.

since 1639 *1639–1651:

Fabio Chigi Pope Alexander VII ( it, Alessandro VII; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death in May 1667. He began his career as a vice-papal legate, and ...

, bishop of Nardò, future Pope Alexander VII *1651–1659: Giuseppe Maria Sanfelice, archbishop of Cosenza *1659–1666: Marco Gallio, bishop of Rimini *1666–1670:

Agostino Franciotti Agostino Franciotti (1630–1670) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Apostolic Nuncio to Germany (1666–1670) and Titular Archbishop of ''Trapezus'' (1654–1670). ''(in Latin)''Francesco Buonvisi Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), sever ...

, archbishop of the titulature of Thessalonica, later Nuncio to Poland and Austria, cardinal *1672–1680: Opizio Pallavicini, archbishop of the titulature of Ephesus *1680–1687

Ercole Visconti Ercole Visconti (1646–1712) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Titular Archbishop of ''Tamiathis'' (1678–1712), Apostolic Nuncio to Germany (1680–1687), and Apostolic Nuncio to Florence (1678–1680). ''(in Latin)''

, archbishop of the titulature of Damietta *1687–1690:

Sebastiano Antonio Tanara Sebastiano Antonio Tanara (10 April 1650 – 5 May 1724) was an Italian cardinal. He studied law at the university of Bologna. He was internuncio in Flanders (1675-1687) and as, such, he was sent with secret mission to king James II of England, wh ...

, archbishop of the titulature of Damascus *1690–1696:

Gianantonio Davia Gianantonio Davia (13 October 1660 – 11 January 1740) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, who served as an apostolic nuncio, Bishop/Archbishop, cardinal, and secretary of a major department (congregration) of the Roman Curia. ...

, archbishop of the titulature of Thebae *1696–1698: Fabrizio Paolucci di Calboli, Bishop of Macerata and Tolentino, Archbishop of Ferrara since 1698, future Cardinal Bishop of Ostia *1698–1702:

Orazio Filippo Spada Orazio is a male given name of Italian origin, derived from the Latin name ( ''nomen'') Horatius, from the Roman gens (clan) Horatia. People so named include: *Orazio Alfani (c. 1510–1583), Italian painter *Orazio Antinori (1811–1882), Ital ...

, archbishop of the titulature of Thebae *1703–1706:

Giulio Piazza Giulio Piazza (1663–1726) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. Biography On 22 Dec 1697, he was consecrated bishop by Gasparo Carpegna, Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere, with Gregorio Giuseppe Gaetani de Aragonia, Titular Patriarch of ...

, archbishop of the titulature of Rodi *1706–1712: Giambattista Bussi, archbishop of the titulature of Tarsos *1712/13-1721: Girolamo Archinto, archbishop of the titulature of Tarsos *1721–1722: Vincenzo Santini, archbishop of the titulature of Trapezunt *1722–1732: Gaetano de'Cavalieri, archbishop of the titulature of Tarsos *1732–1735: Jacopo Oddi, archbishop of the titulature of Laodicea *1735–1738:

Fabrizio Serbelloni Fabrizio Serbelloni (Sorbelloni) (1695–1775) was an Italian diplomat and Cardinal. Life Fabrizio Serbelloni was born on 4 November 1695 in Milan to a noble and prominent family. He studied initially in Rome at the Collegio Clementino, and on 1 ...

, archbishop of the titulature of Patrasso *1740–1744:

Ignazio Michele Crivelli Ignazio () is a masculine Italian given name. Notable people with the name include: Arts *Ignazio Collino (1736–1793), Italian sculptor *Ignazio Fresu (born 1957), Italian sculptor *Ignazio Gardella (1905–1999), Italian architect and designer ...

, archbishop of the titulature of Caesarea *1744–1754: Girolamo Spinola, archbishop of the titulature of Laodicea *1754–1760: Niccolò Oddi, archbishop of the titulature of Trajanopolis *1760–1767: Cesare Alberico Lucini, archbishop of the titulature of Nicaea *1766/67–1775:

Giovanni Battista Caprara Montecuccoli Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * '' Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend ...

, archbishop of the titulature of Iconium, nuncio to Vienna and Paris, later archbishop of Milano and cardinal *1775–1785:

Carlo Antonio Giuseppe Bellisomi Carlo Antonio Giuseppe Bellisomi (30 July 1736 in Pavia – 9 August 1808 in Cesena, Emilia-Romagna) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal and apostolic nuncio. Life He was made a priest on 29 May 1763 and on 11 September 1775 titular bisho ...

, archbishop of the titulature of Tyana, Nuncio to Portugal *1786–1794:

Bartolomeo Pacca Bartolomeo Pacca (27 December 1756, Benevento – 19 April 1844) was an Italian cardinal, scholar, and statesman as Cardinal Secretary of State. Pacca served as apostolic nuncio to Cologne, and later to Lisbon. Biography Bartolomeo Pacca was ...

, archbishop of the titulature of Damiette *1794–1804: Annibale della Genga, archbishop of the titulature of Tyrus, last nuncio to Cologne and future Pope Leo XII, due to the French occupation and annexation of Cologne (1795, 1801) last officiating from

Literature

Michael F. Feldkamp Michael F. Feldkamp (born 23 April 1962) is a German historian and journalist. Career Feldkamp was born in Kiel. After completing his high school studies at the Gymnasium Carolinum in Osnabrück, he studied history, Catholic theology, teaching, ...

, "Die Erforschung der Kölner Nuntiatur: Geschichte und Ausblick. Mit einem Verzeichnis der Amtsdaten der Nuntien und Administratoren (Interimsverwalter) der Kölner Nuntiatur (1584–1794)", in: ''Archivum Historiae Pontificiae'', Pontif. Univ. Gregoriana (ed.), vol. 28 (1990), pp. 201–283. *

, ''Studien und Texte zur Geschichte der Kölner Nuntiatur'': 4 vols., vol. 1: 'Die Kölner Nuntiatur und ihr Archiv. Eine archiv- und quellenkundliche Untersuchung' (1993; ); vol. 2: 'Dokumente und Materialien über Jurisdiktion, Nuntiatursprengel, Haushalt, Zeremoniell und Verwaltung der Kölner Nuntiatur (1584–1794)' (1995; ); vol. 3: 'Inventar des Fonds »Archivio della Nunziatura di Colonia« im Vatikanischen Archiv' (1995; ); vol. 4: 'Die Instruktionen und Finalrelationen der Kölner Nuntien von 1651 bis 1786' (2008; ), (=Collectanea Archivi Vaticani, vols. 30–33), Città del Vaticano: Archivio Vaticano, 1993–2008. * ''Nuntiaturberichte aus Deutschland, nebst ergänzenden Aktenstücken: Die Kölner Nuntiatur'': so far 20 vols., edited on behalf of the Preussisches Historisches Institut (Roma; now Deutsches Historisches Institut), Görres-Gesellschaft zur Pflege der Wissenschaft, and Akademie der Wissenschaften (Vienna), Paderborn et al.: Schöningh, 1895 to present.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Apostolic Nuncio To Cologne

1584 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire Cologne-related lists