Biography

He was born at Vinovo

Vinovo

Vinovo is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 14 km southwest of Turin.Vinovo is home to the training ground of Serie A giants Juventus which is located within the municipality. It is also the home of St...

, near Turin

Turin

Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...

, and was a relative of Pope Sixtus IV

Pope Sixtus IV

Pope Sixtus IV , born Francesco della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484. His accomplishments as Pope included the establishment of the Sistine Chapel; the group of artists that he brought together introduced the Early Renaissance into Rome with the first masterpiece of the city's new artistic age,...

, and took advantage of the latter's extensive nepotism.

In 1478 he was appointed as Bishop of Tarantaise succeeding his brother, Cristoforo. In the same year, on 10 February, he was created cardinal of San Vitale by Sixtus IV (one year later he exchanged the title with that of San Clemente). Also in 1478 he received the title of bishop of Montefiascone and Corneto, which he kept until his death. In 1482 he was appointed to the diocese of Geneva, which he immediately exchanged with that of Turin, where he arrived in 1483.

After Sixtus' death in 1484, he went to Rome to participate in the papal conclave

Papal conclave

A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...

 which elected Pope Innocent VIII

Pope Innocent VIII

Pope Innocent VIII , born Giovanni Battista Cybo , was Pope from 1484 until his death.-Early years:Giovanni Battista Cybo was born at Genoa of Greek extraction...

. Della Rovere remained in Rome for most of the rest of his life, leaving the diocese of Turin to his collaborators, including in nephew Giovanni Ludovico della Rovere. In Piedmont, he funded the Collegiate church of Saluzzo

Saluzzo

Saluzzo is a town and former principality in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont region, Italy.The city of Saluzzo is built on a hill overlooking a vast, well-cultivated plain. Iron, lead, silver, marble, slate etc...

 and the rebuilding of the Turin Cathedral, as well as a new castle in Vinovo to serve as his residence. In Rome, he commissioned Pinturicchio

Pinturicchio

Bernardino di Betto, called Pintoricchio or Pinturicchio was an Italian painter of the Renaissance. He acquired his nickname, Pintoricchio , because of his small stature, and he used it to sign some of his works....

 the decoration (including the Semi-Gods Ceiling

Semi-Gods Ceiling

The Semi-Gods Ceiling is a painting work by Italian Renaissance master Pinturicchio, dating to c. 1490 and housed in the rigt wing hall of the Palazzo dei Penitenzieri in Rome, Italy...

) of the Palazzo dei Penitenzieri

Palazzo dei Penitenzieri

Palazzo dei Penitenzieri is a palace in Rome, Italy, facing Via della Conciliazione. It is also known as Palazzo della Rovere.The construction of the palace was started in 1480 by cardinal Domenico della Rovere, a relative of Pope Sixtus IV, perhaps under the design by Baccio Pontelli...

, whose construction he had started in 1480, perhaps under design by Baccio Pontelli

Baccio Pontelli

Baccio Pontelli was an Italian architect. Baccio is an abbreviation of Bartolomeo.Pontelli was born in Florence. Passing the phase of artistic formation with Giuliano and Benedetto da Maiano in Florence, and influenced by Francesco di Giorgio Martini during the trip to Urbino , he was an in-layer...

.

He died in Rome in 1501, and is now buried in the Turin Cathedral.

Sources