Origins

According to the older historiography Boso was an Englishman from St Albans

St Albans

St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...

 and nephew

Cardinal-nephew

A cardinal-nephew is a cardinal elevated by a Pope who is that cardinal's uncle, or, more generally, his relative. The practice of creating cardinal-nephews originated in the Middle Ages, and reached its apex during the 16th and 17th centuries. The word nepotism originally referred specifically to...

 of Nicholas Breakspear, future Pope Adrian IV

Pope Adrian IV

Pope Adrian IV , born Nicholas Breakspear or Breakspeare, was Pope from 1154 to 1159.Adrian IV is the only Englishman who has occupied the papal chair...

, on his mother's side. He ostensibly joined the Order of Benedictines at St Albans Abbey

St Albans Cathedral

St Albans Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral church at St Albans, England. At , its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England...

 in the young age, and then entered the Roman Curia when his uncle Nicholas became cardinal. Shortly after his election to the papacy he was promoted to the cardinalate and died ca. 1181.

This view was still accepted at the beginning of 20th century, but subsequently was challenged by the number of scholars. Johannes M. Brixius (1912) undermined the tradition identyfying him as nephew of Adrian IV and benedictine monk. He showed that neither his relationship with Adrian IV nor his belonging to the Order of Benedictines is attested in any of the contemporary sources, while papal privileges for the Boso's titular church of S. Pudenziana

Santa Pudenziana

The basilica of Santa Pudenziana is a 4th century church in Rome, dedicated to Saint Pudentiana, sister of Saint Praxedis and daughter of Saint Pudens. It is the national church of the Philippines....

 attached this title to the canons regular of S. Maria di Reno. Therefore, Brixius concluded that Boso must have been a member of this religious community, and not a Benedictine. However, he still considered him an Englishman.

The monography of F. Geisthardt (1936) about Cardinal Boso refuted almost all elements of his traditional biography concerning the period before his promotion to the cardinalate. He has proven that Boso's curial career much predated the career of his alleged uncle Nicholas Breakspear. He served at the papal curia from at least 1135 as member of the household of cardinal Guido of SS. Cosma e Damiano from Pisa, and it was Guido, not Nicholas, who was his early protector at the papal court. Geisthardt has established that Boso was born probably at Loppia near Lucca in Tuscany. His conclusions are now accepted in academic literature.

Biography

Born probably at Loppia in Tuscany, Boso joined the canons regular of S. Maria di Reno at Bologna. In 1135 he entered the service of cardinal Guido of SS. Cosma e Damiano and accompanied him in his legatine mission to Spain 1143. After Guido's death in autumn 1149 Boso replaced him as director of papal chancery, though without the title of chancellor. He occupied that post until 3 May 1153.

When Nicholas Breakspear became Pope Adrian IV in December 1154, appointed Boso to the important post of Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church and confided to him the governorship of the Castle of Sant' Angelo, being somewhat suspicious of the fidelity of the Roman populace. Two years later, on 21 December 1156, the same pope named him cardinal-deacon of SS. Cosma e Damiano; as such, he subscribed papal bulls between 4 January 1157 and 1 August 1165.

When Adrian IV died in 1159, dissensions arose in the conclave as to the choice of his successor, the result of which was the creation of a schism

Schism (religion)

A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...

 lasting seventeen years. Four cardinals in the imperia

Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...

l interest voted for Cardinal Octavian, who assumed the name of Victor IV

Antipope Victor IV (1159-1164)

Victor IV , born Octavian or Octavianus: Ottaviano dei Crescenzi Ottaviani di Monticelli, was the cardinal priest of Santa Cecilia before he was elected as a Ghibelline antipope in 1159, following the death of Pope Adrian IV and the election of Alexander III...

, but he was acknowledged only by the Germans. On the very day of Adrian's burial in the Vatican basilica, 5 September, Cardinal Boso, who appears to have taken the lead, withdrew with the majority, twenty-three, of the cardinals within the fortress of Sant' Angelo to escape the vengeance of the antipope. They immedediately elected as pope Cardinal Rolando Bandinelli of Siena, who was consecrated under the name of Pope Alexander III

Pope Alexander III

Pope Alexander III , born Rolando of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181. He is noted in history for laying the foundation stone for the Notre Dame de Paris.-Church career:...

.

The new pope was mindful of his obligations to Boso, and soon (no later than 18 March 1166) promoted him Cardinal-Priest of the title of Santa Pudenziana

Santa Pudenziana

The basilica of Santa Pudenziana is a 4th century church in Rome, dedicated to Saint Pudentiana, sister of Saint Praxedis and daughter of Saint Pudens. It is the national church of the Philippines....

 (subscribed the bulls with this title between 18 March 1166 and 29 July 1178). Boso, though dismissed as camerlengo, was subsequently entrusted with several important missions in Northern Italy (1160/61, 1162, 1173/74, 1177). When Alexander made his journey to Venice to receive the submission and allegiance of the Emperor Frederick II, and to ratify the Peace of Venice (24 June 1177) which closed the schism, he was accompanied by Boso.

He had a reputation not only for piety, but also for learning, and was esteemed by contemporary writers as among the most eminent theologians of his age. He compiled or wrote the lives of several eleventh and twelfth century popes, among them the life of his uncle,. He was also a poet, examples of his poetry powers still existing in the Cotton MSS. in the British Museum

British Museum

The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...

, in the form of metrical lives of saints.

He died in 1178, perhaps on 12 September.