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 sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...

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

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 des ...

. 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 La ...

, 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 R ...

. In 1629 Spinola was also given the title of Cardinal Priest of the Church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, 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. He was consecrated bishop by Domenico de' Marini,

, with Angelo Mascardi, Bishop of Noli, Pietro Francesco Costa,

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 Bell ...

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 an ...

, serving as co-consecrators. He was transferred to the episcopal see 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. 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 Januar ...

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

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