Cardinal Giovanni Dolfin, often Italianized as Delfin or Delfino (Venice, 15 December 1545 - Venice, 25 November 1622), was an Italian politician and

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 ...

. He was one of several cardinals from his family by this name. He is the uncle of Cardinal Giovanni Delfino (iuniore). Graduated in ''utroque jure'' at the

University of Padua The University of Padua ( it, Università degli Studi di Padova, UNIPD) is an Italian university located in the city of Padua, region of Veneto, northern Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from B ...

, he seemed to want to embrace the ecclesiastical state, but was instead initiated into a political and diplomatic career; after having exercised some minor offices in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

, in 1577 he was appointed podestà and captain of Belluno. Between 1582 and 1595 he was sent as ambassador of the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

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 ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, whence he returned eight years later to go to the role of ambassador to 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 ...

, a post he held until 1598. In the same year he officially represented Venice at the wedding of Philip III of Spain and in 1601 to those of

Henry IV of France Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...

and

Maria de' Medici Marie de' Medici (french: link=no, Marie de Médicis, it, link=no, Maria de' Medici; 26 April 1575 – 3 July 1642) was Queen consort of France, Queen of France and List of Navarrese royal consorts, Navarre as the second wife of King Henry IV o ...

. Returning to his homeland he took the post of San Marco's attorney and the reformer of Studio Padovano. In 1603, the

Bishop 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 ca ...

of Vicenza remained vacant, Pope

Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII ( la, Clemens VIII; it, Clemente VIII; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born ...

decided to assign him to Dolfin, to whom he was bound by ties of sympathy and mutual respect, although he was not a priest and the Venetian law did not allow ecclesiastical offices to be held by those who they had resided at the court of Rome.Guglielmo Berchet, Relazioni degli stati europei lette al Senato dagli ambasciatori Veneti nel secolo decimosettimo, Venezia, 1857, Vol. I, page 56. On 27 Dec 1603, he was

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

bishop by

Alfonso Visconti Alfonso Visconti (1552–1608) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal and diplomat. Life Alfonso Visconti was born in Milan in 1552. He was the son of the Count Annibale, member of the ''Saliceto'' branch of the noble family of Visconti, and of ...

Bishop of Spoleto The Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia ( la, Archidioecesis Spoletana-Nursina) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy. Historically, it was the Diocese of Spoleto. Elevated to the status of an archdio ...

, with Tommaso Contarini,

Archbishop of Candia The Roman Catholic Diocese of Crete ( la, Dioecesis Candiensis) is a diocese located on the island of Crete in the Ecclesiastical province of Naxos, Andros, Tinos and Mykonos in Greece. History Roman Catholic presence on the island of Crete da ...

, and

Leonardo Mocenigo Leonardo Mocenigo (died 1623) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Ceneda (1599–1623).

Bishop of Ceneda The Diocese of Vittorio Veneto ( la, Dioecesis Victoriensis Venetorum) is a Roman Catholic diocese in northern Italy, with capital in Vittorio Veneto. It was historically known as Diocese of Ceneda, the name being changed in 1939.

, serving as

co-consecrators A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...

Episcopal succession

While bishop, he was the

principal consecrator A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...

of:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Delfino, Giovanni 1545 births 1622 deaths Republic of Venice clergy 17th-century Italian cardinals Ambassadors of the Republic of Venice

Episcopal succession

See also

References