Francesco Chiericati, also written Chieregati or Chieregato (1479, Vicenza – 6 December 1539,

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...

), was a

papal 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 org ...

and

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...

, member of the house of Chiericati from Vicenza.

Life and career

Sent by

Pope Leo X Pope Leo X ( it, Leone X; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 14751 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521. Born into the prominent political an ...

as papal nuncio to England (1515–17), he also filled a similar office in Portugal and in Spain (1519), becoming acquainted with Cardinal Adrian Florent, Bishop of Tortosa, the Dutch preceptor of

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Inf ...

, and later

Pope Adrian VI Pope Adrian VI ( la, Hadrianus VI; it, Adriano VI; nl, Adrianus/Adriaan VI), born Adriaan Florensz Boeyens (2 March 1459 – 14 September 1523), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 January 1522 until his d ...

Diet of Nuremberg, War against Turks, Magellan's expedition

The personal instruction, issued probably on the same date, and read to the Diet by Chieregati, is one of the most important documents for the early history of the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...

. In it Pope Adrian confesses that the sins of ecclesiastics were the chief cause of the tribulations of the Church, and that in the Roman Curia itself, both head and members, popes and prelates, had been guilty of abuses. The reply of the Diet was discouraging; the princes and representatives avoided an answer to the pope's requests, proposed the celebration of a general council in some German city, and renewed in the earlier antipapal complaints of the Germans, the famous '' Centum gravamina teutonicae nationis''; Pastor adds that the failure of Chieregati was in large measure owing to the great German prelates who were by no means ready to repeat the confession of the pope. The latter has often been blamed for his frankness, but Pastor defends him, saying that his admissions were necessary. Chieregati was the patron of

Antonio Pigafetta Antonio Pigafetta (; – c. 1531) was an Venetian scholar and explorer. He joined the expedition to the Spice Islands led by explorer Ferdinand Magellan under the flag of the emperor Charles V and after Magellan's death in the Philippine Islands ...

, who accompanied the expedition of

Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the East ...

. Pigafetta sent his journal of the expedition, and the voyage round the world completed by its only surviving ship, the ''

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seyche ...

'', to Chieregati while he was at the Diet. Chieregati made it available to Diet attendees. An account of the expedition, with a globe illustrating the voyage, was also sent by Emperor

to his brother Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, who was presiding at the Diet. The account that was probably taken down by

Maximilianus Transylvanus Maximilian van Sevenbergen, Latinized in Maximilianus Transylvanus (Transilvanus, Transylvanianus), also Maximilianus of Transylvania and Maximilian (Maximiliaen) von Sevenborgen (between 1485 and 1490 – 1538, Brussels), was a courtier of ...

, and the globe a copy of the one made by him. The globe was displayed to the attendees. Chieregati, having examined the globe, described the ''Victoria’s'' itinerary to his patron, Isabella d’Este Gonzaga, Marchesa of Mantua. Chieregati also sent Transylvanus' account to Francesco Minizio Calvo in Rome, who had it published in November 1523.''Maximiliani Transyluani Caefaris a secretis Epistola, de admirabili & novissima Hispanorum in orientem navigatione, qua variæ, & nulli prius accessæ regiones inventæ sunt, cum ipsis etiam Moluccis insulis beatissimis, optimo aromatum genere refertis,'' Roma, 152

/ref>

Notes

References

External links

Source
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chieregati, Francesco 1479 births 1539 deaths 16th-century Italian Roman Catholic bishops Diplomats of the Holy See People from Vicenza Apostolic Nuncios to Great Britain