Philippe de Cabassoles
Encyclopedia
Philippe de Cabassole or Philippe de Cabassoles (1305-1372), the Bishop of Cavaillon, Seigneur
of Vaucluse
, was the great protector of Renaissance poet Francesco Petrarch.
on August 26, 1330. He then took a position as provost
on September 18, 1331. Philippe was promoted to the episcopate when he was a deacon
in 1333 by Pope John XXII.
Philip became guardian of Robert of Anjou's granddaughter at his death, queen Joan I of Navarre
. He became chancellor of Sicily in 1343 and legate
of Pope Innocent VI
in Dauphiné in 1353 and in Germany in 1358. He was named titular
Latin patriarch of Jerusalem on August 18, 1361 and remained as administrator of the see of Cavaillon until September 23, 1366. He became rector of Comtat-Venaissin starting November 17, 1362. Philip was also named administrator of the see of Marseille on September 23, 1366 and was there until December 9, 1368. Philip created a cardinal priest of Santi Marcellino e Pietro al Laterano in the ecclesiastical council of September 22, 1368. He was made a cardinal by Pope Urban V
in 1368 and entered the papal curia in Avignon on June 4, 1369. He was also named by Pope Urban V the governor of Avignon and vicar general
during the pope's absence. He opted for the order of cardinal bishops and the suburbicarian see of Sabina on May 31, 1370, and also participated in the conclave of the same year to elect Pope Gregory XI
. Gregory designated Philip papal legate
of Tuscany, Campagna and Sabina.
in the village of Vaucluse
high on a cliff with a view. Petrarch built a home in Vaucluse after visiting his friend Philippe, who had built his castle on the site of a 7th century BC Oppidem. From Philippe's castle the view was beautiful and is no wonder the bishop selected this lofty spot.
Living just a short twenty minute walk from one another, they developed a very close relationship that lasted a lifetime. Petrarch dedicated a book to his friend, who "treated him as a brother", despite his later status as Cardinal. Among the intimates of Petrarch's old age there seems to be only one name missing in Petrarch's will, which is Philippe's. Their friendship had begun in 1337 when Petrarch moved to Vaucluse
. They stayed close friends up until Philippe's death in 1372. The fact that in spite of this undoubtedly very close relationship Petrarch did not include his friend Philippe in his Last Will and Testament is explained by the assumption that Petrarch could not think of any bequest
suitable to a man of such high status
as that of a prince.
Petrarch made a collection of 350 letters he personally wrote called Epistolae familiares (a.k.a. Familiar Letters). In among these letters in 1346 Petrarch writes what is called De vita solitaria, a treatise composed of two books and dedicated to Philippe de Cabassoles. In Book XXII of Familiar Letters is Petrarch's books of these letters to Philippe which he delivered 20 years after he wrote them. Also in addition to these books of letters he wrote some very special letters that he held out of the set of Epistolae familiares, which was later put into a set of 19 letters called Liber sine nomine
. Letters 1 and 12 are letters Petrarch wrote to his friend Phillippe that are in this reserved set of letters "without a name" of the recipient. Petrarch dedicated his work De vita solitaria
to his friend Philip. A dedication to him is in the preface
.
Historian Wilkens tells of part of a letter Petrarch sent to Philip in 1371 that shows their friendship,
in 1833. In October of 1926, a commemorative plaque was placed de l'Evêché at Cavaillon in the ruins of his palace.
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Vaucluse
Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...
, was the great protector of Renaissance poet Francesco Petrarch.
Early life
Philippe was educated by the clegy of Cavaillon and was made Canon of the cathedral chapter of Cavaillon on March 22, 1328. He next was promoted to archdeaconArchdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
on August 26, 1330. He then took a position as provost
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
on September 18, 1331. Philippe was promoted to the episcopate when he was a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1333 by Pope John XXII.
Middle life
Philip was elected bishop of Cavaillon on August 17, 1334. He attended the Council of Avignon in 1337.Philip became guardian of Robert of Anjou's granddaughter at his death, queen Joan I of Navarre
Joan I of Navarre
Joan I , the daughter of king Henry I of Navarre and Blanche of Artois, reigned as queen regnant of Navarre and also served as queen consort of France.-Life:...
. He became chancellor of Sicily in 1343 and legate
Legate
Legate may refer to:*Legatus, a general officer of the ancient Roman army drawn from among the senatorial class*Papal legate, a messenger from the Holy See*Legate, a rank in the Cardassian military in the fictional Star Trek universe...
of Pope Innocent VI
Pope Innocent VI
Pope Innocent VI , born Étienne Aubert; his father was Adhemar Aubert seigneur de Montel-De-Gelas in Limousin province. His niece was Catherine Aubert, Dame de Boutheon, also the wife of Randon II baron de Joyeuse; she is La Fayette's ancestor...
in Dauphiné in 1353 and in Germany in 1358. He was named titular
Titular (Catholicism)
In Roman Catholicism, a titular can be:*the cardinal who holds a titulus, one of the main churches of Rome. Such holders were initially by tradition native-born Romans . The first church in Rome to have a non-Italian titular was Santi Quattro Coronati: Dietrich of Trier was appointed titular in...
Latin patriarch of Jerusalem on August 18, 1361 and remained as administrator of the see of Cavaillon until September 23, 1366. He became rector of Comtat-Venaissin starting November 17, 1362. Philip was also named administrator of the see of Marseille on September 23, 1366 and was there until December 9, 1368. Philip created a cardinal priest of Santi Marcellino e Pietro al Laterano in the ecclesiastical council of September 22, 1368. He was made a cardinal by Pope Urban V
Pope Urban V
Pope Urban V , born Guillaume Grimoard, was Pope from 1362 to 1370.-Biography:Grimoard was a native of Grizac in Languedoc . He became a Benedictine and a doctor in Canon Law, teaching at Montpellier and Avignon...
in 1368 and entered the papal curia in Avignon on June 4, 1369. He was also named by Pope Urban V the governor of Avignon and vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
during the pope's absence. He opted for the order of cardinal bishops and the suburbicarian see of Sabina on May 31, 1370, and also participated in the conclave of the same year to elect Pope Gregory XI
Pope Gregory XI
Gregory XI was pope from 1370 until his death.-Biography:He was born Pierre Roger de Beaufort, in Maumont, in the modern commune of Rosiers-d'Égletons, Limousin around 1336. He succeeded Pope Urban V in 1370, and was pope until 1378...
. Gregory designated Philip papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
of Tuscany, Campagna and Sabina.
The best friend of Petrarch
Philippe formed a long lasting friendship with Petrarch from 1337 until his death in 1372. Philippe had a villa not far from AvignonAvignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
in the village of Vaucluse
Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...
high on a cliff with a view. Petrarch built a home in Vaucluse after visiting his friend Philippe, who had built his castle on the site of a 7th century BC Oppidem. From Philippe's castle the view was beautiful and is no wonder the bishop selected this lofty spot.
Living just a short twenty minute walk from one another, they developed a very close relationship that lasted a lifetime. Petrarch dedicated a book to his friend, who "treated him as a brother", despite his later status as Cardinal. Among the intimates of Petrarch's old age there seems to be only one name missing in Petrarch's will, which is Philippe's. Their friendship had begun in 1337 when Petrarch moved to Vaucluse
Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...
. They stayed close friends up until Philippe's death in 1372. The fact that in spite of this undoubtedly very close relationship Petrarch did not include his friend Philippe in his Last Will and Testament is explained by the assumption that Petrarch could not think of any bequest
Bequest
A bequest is the act of giving property by will. Strictly, "bequest" is used of personal property, and "devise" of real property. In legal terminology, "bequeath" is a verb form meaning "to make a bequest."...
suitable to a man of such high status
Social status
In sociology or anthropology, social status is the honor or prestige attached to one's position in society . It may also refer to a rank or position that one holds in a group, for example son or daughter, playmate, pupil, etc....
as that of a prince.
Petrarch made a collection of 350 letters he personally wrote called Epistolae familiares (a.k.a. Familiar Letters). In among these letters in 1346 Petrarch writes what is called De vita solitaria, a treatise composed of two books and dedicated to Philippe de Cabassoles. In Book XXII of Familiar Letters is Petrarch's books of these letters to Philippe which he delivered 20 years after he wrote them. Also in addition to these books of letters he wrote some very special letters that he held out of the set of Epistolae familiares, which was later put into a set of 19 letters called Liber sine nomine
Liber sine nomine
The is a collection of nineteen personal letters written in Latin by the fourteenth century Italian poet and Renaissance humanist Petrarch. The letters being harshly critical of the Avignon papacy, they were withheld from the larger collection of his Epistolae familiares and assembled in a...
. Letters 1 and 12 are letters Petrarch wrote to his friend Phillippe that are in this reserved set of letters "without a name" of the recipient. Petrarch dedicated his work De vita solitaria
De vita solitaria
is a philosophical treatise composed in Latin and written between 1346 and 1356 by Italian Renaissance humanist Petrarch...
to his friend Philip. A dedication to him is in the preface
Preface
A preface is an introduction to a book or other literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a foreword and precedes an author's preface...
.
Historian Wilkens tells of part of a letter Petrarch sent to Philip in 1371 that shows their friendship,
Death and after
Pope Gregory XI sent Philippe to Perugia and designated him papal legate and governor of Umbria in early 1372. Before his term ended he died August 27, 1372, and was buried in the Carthusian monastery of Bonpas, near Avignon. Later his body was transferred to the church of Caumont-sur-DuranceCaumont-sur-Durance
Caumont-sur-Durance is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
in 1833. In October of 1926, a commemorative plaque was placed de l'Evêché at Cavaillon in the ruins of his palace.
Works
Life of St. Mary Magdalene (Libellus hystorialis Marie beatissime Magedelene) - 1355.Further reading
- Aldonce, Jacques François Paul de Sade, The Life of Petrarch, collected from Memoires pour la vie de Petrarch, Volume 1 pp. 120-124, 130-131, 213-214, 265, 390; Volume 2 pp. 79, 147, 173, 331-332, 335, 363, 383, 385, 405
- Campbell, Thomas, Life of Petrarch , London : H. Colburn, 1841; Volume 1, p. 181; Volume 2, pp. 400, 112, 181, 285-286, 288, 293-294