Giandomenico Spinola (1580 – 11 August 1646) (also Giovanni Domenico Spinola)

Early life

Spinola was born in 1580 in

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

. Though few records exist detailing his family background or education, he is listed as ''Questore'' (

commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...

) of the Pontifical Office of the Treasury in his home town during the reign of

Pope Paul V Pope Paul V ( la, Paulus V; it, Paolo V) (17 September 1550 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death in January 1621. In 1611, he honored ...

Ecclesiastic career

Later Spinola moved to Rome where, under the guidance of

Archbishop of Genoa The Archdiocese of Genoa ( la, Archidioecesis Ianuensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Italy. Erected in the 3rd century, it was elevated to an archdiocese on 20 March 1133. The archdiocese of Gen ...

Antonmaria Sauli Antonio Maria Sauli (sometimes Antonio Sauli) (1541–1623) was the Archbishop of Genoa and later a Roman Catholic Cardinal, serving as the dean of the College of Cardinals for the last three years of his life. Sauli was born in Genoa. He was a ...

, he was appointed to a number of administrative church positions. Spinola was sent to the Archdiocese of Messina to act as administrator in 1625. Upon his return to Rome in 1626, he was elevated to the office of cardinal, with the

Basilica of San Clemente The Basilica of Saint Clement ( it, Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano) is a Latin Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Pope Clement I located in Rome, Italy. Archaeologically speaking, the structure is a three-tiered complex of buildings: (1) ...

as his

titular church In the Catholic Church, a titular church is a church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the clergy who is created a cardinal. These are Catholic churches in the city, within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rome, that serve as honorary de ...

. He was also named as Protector of his homeland, the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the Lat ...

, becoming its official representative 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 ...

. In 1629 Spinola was also given the title of Cardinal Priest of the Church of

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere Santa Cecilia in Trastevere is a 5th-century church in Rome, Italy, in the Trastevere rione, devoted to the Roman martyr Saint Cecilia (early 3rd century AD). History The first church on this site was founded probably in the 3rd century, by Pop ...

, holding both until he gave up that of San Clemente on 17 August 1637. In November 1630 he was named the

Archbishop of Acerenza and Matera The Archdiocese of Acerenza ( la, Archidioecesis Acheruntina) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in southern Italy, included in the provinces of Lecce and Potenza. It has existed as a diocese since the fourth or fifth centuries. In th ...

. 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 Domenico de' Marini,

, with

Angelo Mascardi Angelo is an Italian language, Italian masculine given name and surname meaning "angel", or "messenger". People People with the given name *Angelo Accattino (born 1966), Italian prelate of the Catholic Church *Angelo Acciaioli (bishop) (1298– ...

Bishop of Noli The Italian Catholic Diocese of Savona-Noli ( la, Dioecesis Savonensis-Naulensis) in northern Italy, was historically the Diocese of Savona, from the tenth century. In 1820 the Diocese of Noli was united to the Diocese of Savona. It is a suffr ...

Pietro Francesco Costa Pietro is an 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 death * Pietro II C ...

Bishop of Albenga 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 ...

, and

Vincenzo Giovanni Spínola Vincenzo is an Italian male given name, derived from the Latin name Vincentius (the verb ''vincere'' means to win or to conquer). Notable people with the name include: Art *Vincenzo Amato (born 1966), Italian actor and sculptor *Vincenzo Bella ...

Bishop of Brugnato The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brugnato (Latin: ''Dioecesis Brugnatensis'') was a Roman Catholic diocese located in the city of Brugnato in the Province of La Spezia in the Italian region Liguria of Italy. On 25 November 1820, it was united with and ...

, 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, ...

. He was transferred to the

episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...

of Luni-Sarzana on 26 April 1632, retaining the personal rank of archbishop. He was again transferred, this time to the Diocese of Mazara del Vallo in

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

as of 1 December 1636, still retaining the rank of archbishop. Between 1642 and 1643 Spinola also served as

Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals The Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals was the treasurer of the College of Cardinals in the Catholic Church. The title is based on an Italian word for chamberlain, a word no longer used in secular contexts. The position existed from at ...

. He participated in the papal conclave of 1644 that elected

Pope Innocent X Pope Innocent X ( la, Innocentius X; it, Innocenzo X; 6 May 1574 – 7 January 1655), born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (or Pamphili), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 September 1644 to his death in January ...

. Spinola died in Mazara in 1646, and was buried in the Chapel of San Gaetano in the

Cathedral of Mazara A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spinola, Giandomenico 1580 births 1646 deaths 16th-century Genoese people 17th-century Genoese people 17th-century Italian Roman Catholic archbishops 17th-century Italian cardinals Cardinals created by Pope Urban VIII Roman Catholic archbishops of Genoa Burials in Sicily Clergy from Genoa 17th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Sicily