Giovanni Antonio Serbelloni (also known as Gian Antonio, Gianantonio; 1519–1591) was an Italian

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

Life

Giovanni Antonio Serbelloni was born in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

in 1519 to a prominent family. He was brother of

Gabrio Gabrio is an Italian origin word which is used as both a masculine given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Gabrio Casati (1798–1873), Italian politician * Gabrio Castrichella (born 1972), Italian tennis playe ...

( condottiero and general) and Giovan Battista (castellan of

Castel Sant'Angelo The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as Castel Sant'Angelo (; English: ''Castle of the Holy Angel''), is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausol ...

and later Bishop of Cassano all' Ionio). In 1541 in

he received the

tonsure Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice in ...

and the four

minor orders Minor orders are ranks of church ministry. In the Catholic Church, the predominating Latin Church formerly distinguished between the major orders —priest (including bishop), deacon and subdeacon—and four minor orders—acolyte, exorcist, lecto ...

, thus becoming a

cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

. His cousin Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Medici renounced in 1557 to the bishopric of Foligno in his favour. He was so elected bishop of Foligno on 7 May 1557, and

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

on 25 August of that year by the Cardinal Medici. In preparation to this appointment he was ordained

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

on 28 March and

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

on 5 April of that year. A turning point in the life of Giovanni Antonio Serbelloni was the elevation of his cousin Giovanni Angelo Medici to the papacy as

Pope Pius IV Pope Pius IV ( it, Pio IV; 31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565), born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 December 1559 to his death in December 1565. Born in Milan, his family considered ...

in December 1559. As in use in such age, the Pope trusted for the important political affairs only on his own relatives: this on 31 January 1560 the Pope appointed him

Cardinal Priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

San Giorgio in Velabro San Giorgio in Velabro is a church in Rome, Italy, dedicated to St. George. The church is located next to the Arch of Janus in the rione of Ripa in the ancient Roman Velabrum. According to the founding legend of Rome, the church was built wh ...

. In the same

consistory Consistory is the anglicized form of the consistorium, a council of the closest advisors of the Roman emperors. It can also refer to: *A papal consistory, a formal meeting of the Sacred College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church *Consistory ...

also

Charles Borromeo Charles Borromeo ( it, Carlo Borromeo; la, Carolus Borromeus; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was the Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584 and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was a leading figure of the Counter-Reformation combat ...

, nephew of the Pope, was made cardinal. Living in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

near the Pope, he was appointed

bishop of Novara The Diocese of Novara ( la, Dioecesis Novariensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vercelli.Camerino Camerino is a town in the province of Macerata, Marche, central-eastern Italy. It is located in the Apennines bordering Umbria, between the valleys of the rivers Potenza and Chienti, about from Ancona. Camerino is home to the University of C ...

in 26 April 1560. On 7 December 1563 he consecrated bishop St. Charles Borromeo. After the death of Pius IV in 1565, he was appointed governor of

Città della Pieve Città della Pieve is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located in Valdichiana a few kilometres from the border between Umbria and Tuscany, and about southwest of Perugia and southeast of Chius ...

in place of Camerino, an office he held till 1570. He visited his diocese Novara only in 1568, when he held a diocesan

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...

, remaining for most of the time in Rome. He resigned this diocese in 1574. In his life he changed many cardinal titles before to be appointed

Cardinal bishop A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

: on 17 May 1565 he was appointed Cardinal-priest of Santa Maria degli Angeli, a church he helped to build and where he and Pope Pius IV were buried; on 12 April 1570 he passed to

San Pietro in Vincoli San Pietro in Vincoli (; Saint Peter in Chains) is a Roman Catholic titular church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy, best known for being the home of Michelangelo's statue of Moses, part of the tomb of Pope Julius II. The '' Titulus S. Petr ...

, on 9 June 1570 to

San Clemente San Clemente (; Spanish for " St. Clement") is a city in Orange County, California. Located in the Orange Coast region of the South Coast of California, San Clemente's population was 64,293 in at the 2020 census. Situated roughly midway betwee ...

, on 3 July 1570 to

Sant'Angelo in Pescheria Sant'Angelo in Pescheria or in Piscaria is a church in Rome. It dates from the 8th century. "In Pescheria" refers to its location close to the fish market built in the ruins of the ancient Porticus Octaviae. History The relics of St. Sympho ...

, on 31 July 1577 to

Santa Maria in Trastevere The Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere); en, Our Lady in Trastevere) is a titular minor basilica in the Trastevere district of Rome, and one of the oldest churches of Rome. The basic floor plan and ...

. However he remained always known as ''Cardinal of San Giorgio'', his first cardinal appointment. In the last years of his life he rose in rank among the Cardinal-bishops: was appointed

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

on 3 July 1578,

bishop of Palestrina The Roman Catholic Suburbicarian Diocese of Palestrina ( la, Diocesis Praenestina) is a Roman Catholic suburbicarian diocese centered on the comune of Palestrina in Italy. The current bishop of Palestrina is Domenico Sigalini, who from 3 Novemb ...

on 5 October 1578,

bishop of Frascati The Diocese of Frascati (Lat.: ''Tusculana'') is a suburbicarian see of the Holy Roman Church and a diocese of the Catholic Church in Italy, based at Frascati, near Rome. The bishop of Frascati is a Cardinal Bishop; from the Latin name of the a ...

on 4 March 1583,

bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina 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 ...

on 11 Dec 1587, and finally

bishop of Ostia The Roman Catholic Suburbicarian Diocese of Ostia is an ecclesiastical territory located within the Metropolitan City of Rome in Italy. It is one of the seven suburbicarian dioceses. The incumbent Bishop is cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. Since ...

and

Dean of the College of Cardinals The dean of the College of Cardinals ( la, Decanus Collegii Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalium) presides over the College of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church, serving as '' primus inter pares'' (first among equals). The position was establ ...

on 2 March 1589. Giovanni Antonio Serbelloni died in Rome on 18 March 1591 and was buried in Santa Maria degli Angeli. At his death was found a overnight bag near his bed with inside 100 thousand golden

scudi The ''scudo'' (pl. ''scudi'') was the name for a number of coins used in various states in the Italian peninsula until the 19th century. The name, like that of the French écu and the Spanish and Portuguese escudo, was derived from the Latin ''scu ...

and titles for other 400 thousand.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Serbelloni, Giovanni Antonio 1519 births 1591 deaths Clergy from Milan 16th-century Italian cardinals Cardinal-bishops of Frascati Cardinal-bishops of Ostia Cardinal-bishops of Palestrina Cardinal-bishops of Porto Cardinal-bishops of Sabina Bishops of Foligno Bishops of Novara 16th-century Italian Roman Catholic bishops Deans of the College of Cardinals