Francesco Lismanini (

Corfu Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...

, ca. 1504 - Königsberg, April 1566) was an Italian Franciscan friar of Greek origin, who converted to Calvinism and also a Protestant reformer.

Biography

His Greek parents soon moved to Italy and in 1515 the family arrived in Krakow, Poland, where in 1525, Francis became a Franciscan friar. A fine preacher, he was chosen by Queen

Bona Sforza Bona Sforza d'Aragona (2 February 1494 – 19 November 1557) was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania as the second wife of Sigismund I the Old, and Duchess of Bari and Rossano by her own right. She was a surviving member of ...

, compatriot and wife of King Sigismund I, as a preacher and confessor. In 1540, he was elected as a Franciscan Father, but as a humanist of the Erasmian circle and proponent of reformed doctrines, in 1550 he was suspected of heresy during a trip to Italy. In 1553, arrived in Moravia, then returning again to Italy and then Switzerland, where he openly proclaimed Calvinism and became a friend of

John Calvin John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...

, Heinrich Bullinger and

Johannes Wolf Johannes or Johann Wolf may refer to: *Johannes Wolf (theologian) (1521–1572), Swiss Reformed theologian *Johannes Wolf (musicologist) (1869–1947), German musicologist *Johann Wolf (naturalist) (1765–1824), German naturalist *Johann Christoph ...

. He returned to Poland to be part of the Protestant Church of Poland. He tried to reach an agreement with the anti-Trinitarian church of the Polish Brethren to strengthen the Reform movement, but due to the opposition of Calvin and Bullinger, the attempt failed. Thus in the late 1550s he was involved with numerous Calvinist and Lutheran disputes with people such as Francesco Stancaro. In 1563, he entered the service of Duke

Albrecht of Prussia Albert of Prussia (german: Albrecht von Preussen; 17 May 149020 March 1568) was a German prince who was the 37th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, who after converting to Lutheranism, became the first ruler of the Duchy of Prussia, the secu ...

in Königsberg, where he died in 1566.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lismanini, Francesco Italian Franciscans Italian Calvinist and Reformed Christians 1504 births 1566 deaths Clergy from Corfu Italian people of Greek descent Converts to Calvinism from Roman Catholicism