Prospero Colonna (cardinal)
Encyclopedia
Prospero Colonna was a cardinal-nephew
of Pope Martin V
(Odo Colonna), whose election ended the Western Schism
. Colonna was excommunicated for a period due to his rebellion against Martin V's successor, Pope Eugene IV
, becoming one of the few excommunicated cardinals. Despite this, Colonna was the leading candidate to succeed Eugene IV in the papal conclave, 1447
, where he was two votes away from election for the first three days.
Colonna is also known as a patron of Roman humanism
.
and Sveva Caetani
, of the signori of Sermoneta
, two of the great baronal families of Rome. Colonna was an apostolic notary and, at the age of 11, made a canon
of the cathedral of Liège in 1421, losing the title for a time and regaining it in 1426. In the same year 1426 he became provost
of the St. Martin's Cathedral of Utrecht
.
Colonna was also the Archdeacon of Canterbury from June 1424 to December 1434, appointed by Martin V, his uncle. Colonna claimed several ecclesiastical revenue streams in England, including the prebend of Laughton
, York
, worth an estimated ₤33 per annum, a matter of dispute between Colonna and Thomas Chapman, as well as Chapman's successor John Lax. Colonna acquired other English benefices at a time when the right of the pope to appoint English bishops was a matter of controversy.
in pectore
on May 24, 1426, although his elevation was not published until November 8, 1430.
was the last to involve the participation of cardinals elevated by antipope
s. Pope Eugene IV
was elected, and Prospero joined the rest of the Colonna family
in rebellion against the new pontiff, who proceeded to deprive the cardinal of all of his benefice
s. Colonna, with the aid of his baronal relatives carried off much of the papal treasure, and was excommunicated by Eugene IV prior to his disgorgement
. Henry Chichele
used the unrest in Rome as an excuse to deprive Colonna of the archdeaconry of Canterbury.
As the forces of the Colonna, joined by those of the Savelli family and the Kingdom of Naples
, massed outside Rome, Colonna slipped quietly out of the city at night to join the forces of rebellion. On May 22 in Paliano
, Colonna received command of the garrison of the Duke of Calabria
, Louis III of Naples
, who was commanding the Neapolitan troops outside the walls of Rome. The forces entered the city on May 30, but were driven back by the efforts of the Orsini family
and Girolamo Riario
.
of the College of Cardinals, Colonna was the leading papabile
in the papal conclave, 1447
, receiving 10 votes on the first scrutiny (two short of the required supermajority), and continuing to receive 10 for the first three days of voting, as Enea Silvio Piccolomini recorded. Colonna had the support of the French cardinals and those who were impressed with the clout he carried with the various Italian city-states, but did not have the support of two outspoken opponents and close collaborator of the late Eugenius, Cardinal Giovanni Berardi, called Cardinal of Taranto, with family connections to the Orsini, and Francesco Condulmer, a nephew; nor did he have the confidence of the Roman public, due to Colonna's reputation for extrajudicial violence. Domenico Capranica
unsuccessfully spoke in favor of Colonna, referring to him as "mansuetto agnello" (mild as a lamb). Pope Nicholas V
, the candidate ultimately selected, reinstated all of Colonna's benefices.
, that elected Enea Silvio Piccolomini Pope Pius II
, stating "I also vote for the Cardinal of Siena, and make him pope". The aged Colonna changed his vote to Piccolomini by accessus
after cardinals Guillaume d'Estouteville and Basilios Bessarion attempted to remove him from the room by force.
during the first, brief flowering of Renaissance in Rome, possessed the "Torre di Nerone" on the Quirinal Hill
, at the time a somewhat isolated structure, and the gardens that surrounded it, identified with the Orti Neroniani by Flavio Biondo
. Lorenzo Valla
was in Colonna's entourage, and Poggio Bracciolini dedicated Da avaritia to him, a book that, in spite of its title, expanded upon the joyous uses of riches. Another Colonna protégé, the humanist Flavio Biondo
, records the restorations and excavations undertaken in the gardens, noting the discovery of extensive marble floors and other remains. Fra Giocondo remarked on the famous collection of Roman marbles at Casa Colonna, which included a torso
of Hercules and perhaps the Three Graces now at Siena. Biondo, who was inspired to begin his Roma instaurata, the first archaeological topology of ancient Rome, in Colonna's company, when they were on a trip to view the Roman theater at Albano; Biondo refers to Colonna as alter nostri saeculi Maecenas, "for our times another Maecenas", in part for his restorations to his titular church, San Giorgio in Velabro, now largely effaced by modern restorations intended to recapture its medieval ambience. The Cardinal commissioned Leon Battista Alberti to raise the Roman ship that was known to lie in the bootom of Lake Nemi
; the undertaking, which was not successful, furnished the subject of an essay by Alberti, which has not survived. The antiquarian Ciriaco d'Ancona fondly recalled the hospitality of Cardinal Colonna and his kinsmen, which identified Colonna's association with the current of renovation that was under weigh in early Renaissance Rome.
Colonna died on March 24, 1463, and was buried in Santi Apostoli
in Rome.
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 Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V , born Odo Colonna, was Pope from 1417 to 1431. His election effectively ended the Western Schism .-Biography:...
(Odo Colonna), whose election ended the Western Schism
Western Schism
The Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split within the Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417. Two men simultaneously claimed to be the true pope. Driven by politics rather than any theological disagreement, the schism was ended by the Council of Constance . The simultaneous claims to the papal chair...
. Colonna was excommunicated for a period due to his rebellion against Martin V's successor, Pope Eugene IV
Pope Eugene IV
Pope Eugene IV , born Gabriele Condulmer, was pope from March 3, 1431, to his death.-Biography:He was born in Venice to a rich merchant family, a Correr on his mother's side. Condulmer entered the Order of Saint Augustine at the monastery of St. George in his native city...
, becoming one of the few excommunicated cardinals. Despite this, Colonna was the leading candidate to succeed Eugene IV in the papal conclave, 1447
Papal conclave, 1447
The papal conclave of March 4-6, 1447 elected Pope Nicholas V to succeed Pope Eugene IV in the Roman basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.-Balloting:...
, where he was two votes away from election for the first three days.
Colonna is also known as a patron of Roman humanism
Renaissance humanism
Renaissance humanism was an activity of cultural and educational reform engaged by scholars, writers, and civic leaders who are today known as Renaissance humanists. It developed during the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth centuries, and was a response to the challenge of Mediæval...
.
Early life
Colonna was born circa 1410, the fifth child of Count Lorenzo Onofrio ColonnaLorenzo Onofrio Colonna
Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna was an Italian nobleman of the Colonna family. He was the 8th Duke and Prince of Paliano and hereditary Grand Constable of the Kingdom of Naples. He was also a Knight of the Golden Fleece.-Biography:...
and Sveva Caetani
Sveva Caetani
Sveva Caetani , was a Italian-Canadian artist.She emigrated to Canada in 1921 with her father, Leone Caetani, and her mother, Olfeia Fabiani...
, of the signori of Sermoneta
Sermoneta
Sermoneta is a hill town and comune in the province of Latina , central Italy.It is a walled hill town, with a 13th-century Romanesque cathedral called Cathedral of S. Maria Assunta and a massive castle, built by the Caetani family. The Cistercian Valvisciolo Abbey is located nearby...
, two of the great baronal families of Rome. Colonna was an apostolic notary and, at the age of 11, made a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of the cathedral of Liège in 1421, losing the title for a time and regaining it in 1426. In the same year 1426 he became 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...
of the St. Martin's Cathedral of Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
.
Colonna was also the Archdeacon of Canterbury from June 1424 to December 1434, appointed by Martin V, his uncle. Colonna claimed several ecclesiastical revenue streams in England, including the prebend of Laughton
Laughton
Laughton could be*John Knox Laughton, 1830-1915, British naval historian*Charles Laughton, British actor*Laughton, East Sussex*Laughton, Leicestershire*Laughton, South Kesteven, Lincolnshire*Laughton, West Lindsey, Lincolnshire...
, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, worth an estimated ₤33 per annum, a matter of dispute between Colonna and Thomas Chapman, as well as Chapman's successor John Lax. Colonna acquired other English benefices at a time when the right of the pope to appoint English bishops was a matter of controversy.
Cardinalate
Colonna was created cardinal-deaconCardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in pectore
In pectore
In pectore is a term used in the Catholic Church to refer to appointments to the College of Cardinals by the Pope when the name of the newly appointed cardinal is not publicly revealed...
on May 24, 1426, although his elevation was not published until November 8, 1430.
Conclave of 1431
After the death of Martin V, the papal conclave, 1431Papal conclave, 1431
Papal conclave 1431 convened after the death of Pope Martin V, elected as his successor cardinal Gabriele Condulmer, who took the name Eugene IV. It was the first papal conclave held after the end of the Great Western Schism.-List of participants:Pope Martin V died on February 20, 1431...
was the last to involve the participation of cardinals elevated by antipope
Antipope
An antipope is a person who opposes a legitimately elected or sitting Pope and makes a significantly accepted competing claim to be the Pope, the Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church. At times between the 3rd and mid-15th century, antipopes were typically those supported by a...
s. Pope Eugene IV
Pope Eugene IV
Pope Eugene IV , born Gabriele Condulmer, was pope from March 3, 1431, to his death.-Biography:He was born in Venice to a rich merchant family, a Correr on his mother's side. Condulmer entered the Order of Saint Augustine at the monastery of St. George in his native city...
was elected, and Prospero joined the rest of the Colonna family
Colonna family
The Colonna family is an Italian noble family; it was powerful in medieval and Renaissance Rome, supplying one Pope and many other Church and political leaders...
in rebellion against the new pontiff, who proceeded to deprive the cardinal of all of his benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
s. Colonna, with the aid of his baronal relatives carried off much of the papal treasure, and was excommunicated by Eugene IV prior to his disgorgement
Disgorgement (law)
Disgorgement is the forced giving up of profits obtained by illegal or unethical acts. A court may order wrongdoers to pay back illegal profits, with interest, to prevent unjust enrichment...
. Henry Chichele
Henry Chichele
Henry Chichele , English archbishop, founder of All Souls College, Oxford, was born at Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, in 1363 or 1364...
used the unrest in Rome as an excuse to deprive Colonna of the archdeaconry of Canterbury.
As the forces of the Colonna, joined by those of the Savelli family and the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
, massed outside Rome, Colonna slipped quietly out of the city at night to join the forces of rebellion. On May 22 in Paliano
Paliano
Paliano is a town and comune in the province of Frosinone, in the Lazio region of central Italy.- History :Paliano was the seat of a branch of the powerful Colonna family whose head was Lord, then Duke, then Prince of Paliano. Their fortress dominates the town...
, Colonna received command of the garrison of the Duke of Calabria
Duke of Calabria
Duke of Calabria was the traditional title of the heir apparent of the Kingdom of Naples after the accession of Robert of Naples. It was also adopted by the heads of certain Houses that had once claimed the Kingdom of Naples in lieu of the royal title....
, Louis III of Naples
Louis III of Naples
Louis III was titular King of Naples 1417–1426, Count of Provence, Forcalquier, Piedmont, and Maine and Duke of Anjou 1417–1434, and Duke of Calabria 1426–1434....
, who was commanding the Neapolitan troops outside the walls of Rome. The forces entered the city on May 30, but were driven back by the efforts of the Orsini family
Orsini family
Orsini: the origin of learning.We love Mrs. Orsini forever! ~8F Social Studies 2011The Orsini family is an Italian noble family; it was one of the most influential princely families in medieval Italy and renaissance Rome...
and Girolamo Riario
Girolamo Riario
Girolamo Riario was Lord of Imola and Forlì in the 15th century.- Biography :Born in Savona, Riario was the son of Paolo Riario and Bianca della Rovere...
.
Conclave of 1447
By then the protodeaconProtodeacon
Protodeacon derives from the Greek proto- meaning 'first' and diakonos, which is a standard ancient Greek word meaning "servant", "waiting-man," "minister" or "messenger." The word in English may refer to various clergymen, depending upon the usage of the particular church in question.-Eastern...
of the College of Cardinals, Colonna was the leading papabile
Papabile
Papabile is an unofficial Italian term first coined by Vaticanologists and now used internationally in many languages to describe a cardinal of whom it is thought likely or possible that he will be elected pope. A literal English translation would be "popeable" or "one who might become pope".In...
in the papal conclave, 1447
Papal conclave, 1447
The papal conclave of March 4-6, 1447 elected Pope Nicholas V to succeed Pope Eugene IV in the Roman basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.-Balloting:...
, receiving 10 votes on the first scrutiny (two short of the required supermajority), and continuing to receive 10 for the first three days of voting, as Enea Silvio Piccolomini recorded. Colonna had the support of the French cardinals and those who were impressed with the clout he carried with the various Italian city-states, but did not have the support of two outspoken opponents and close collaborator of the late Eugenius, Cardinal Giovanni Berardi, called Cardinal of Taranto, with family connections to the Orsini, and Francesco Condulmer, a nephew; nor did he have the confidence of the Roman public, due to Colonna's reputation for extrajudicial violence. Domenico Capranica
Domenico Capranica
Domenico Capranica was an Italian theologian, canonist, statesman, and Cardinal.He was born in Capranica Prenestina. After studies in canon and civil law at Padua and Bologna, under teachers probably including Giuliano Cesarini, he received the title of Doctor of Both Laws at the age of twenty-one...
unsuccessfully spoke in favor of Colonna, referring to him as "mansuetto agnello" (mild as a lamb). Pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V , born Tommaso Parentucelli, was Pope from March 6, 1447 to his death in 1455.-Biography:He was born at Sarzana, Liguria, where his father was a physician...
, the candidate ultimately selected, reinstated all of Colonna's benefices.
Conclave of 1458
Colonna cast the deciding vote in the papal conclave, 1458Papal conclave, 1458
The Papal conclave of 1458 convened after the death of Pope Callixtus III, elected as his successor Cardinal Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who took the name Pius II.-Death of Callixtus III:...
, that elected Enea Silvio Piccolomini Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini was Pope from August 19, 1458 until his death in 1464. Pius II was born at Corsignano in the Sienese territory of a noble but decayed family...
, stating "I also vote for the Cardinal of Siena, and make him pope". The aged Colonna changed his vote to Piccolomini by accessus
Accessus
Accessus is a term applied to the voting in conclave for the election of a pope, by which a cardinal changes his vote and accedes to some other candidate. Accessus voting was first used in the papal conclave, 1455...
after cardinals Guillaume d'Estouteville and Basilios Bessarion attempted to remove him from the room by force.
As a patron
In Rome, Cardinal Colonna, a leader among the Roman humanistsRenaissance humanism
Renaissance humanism was an activity of cultural and educational reform engaged by scholars, writers, and civic leaders who are today known as Renaissance humanists. It developed during the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth centuries, and was a response to the challenge of Mediæval...
during the first, brief flowering of Renaissance in Rome, possessed the "Torre di Nerone" on the Quirinal Hill
Quirinal Hill
The Quirinal Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome, at the north-east of the city center. It is the location of the official residence of the Italian Head of State, who resides in the Quirinal Palace; by metonymy "the Quirinal" has come to stand for the Italian President.- History :It was...
, at the time a somewhat isolated structure, and the gardens that surrounded it, identified with the Orti Neroniani by Flavio Biondo
Flavio Biondo
Flavio Biondo was an Italian Renaissance humanist historian. He was one of the first historians to used a three-period division of history and is known as one of the first archaeologists.Born in the capital city of Forlì, in the Romagna region, Flavio was well schooled from an early age,...
. Lorenzo Valla
Lorenzo Valla
Lorenzo Valla was an Italian humanist, rhetorician, and educator. His family was from Piacenza; his father, Luciave della Valla, was a lawyer....
was in Colonna's entourage, and Poggio Bracciolini dedicated Da avaritia to him, a book that, in spite of its title, expanded upon the joyous uses of riches. Another Colonna protégé, the humanist Flavio Biondo
Flavio Biondo
Flavio Biondo was an Italian Renaissance humanist historian. He was one of the first historians to used a three-period division of history and is known as one of the first archaeologists.Born in the capital city of Forlì, in the Romagna region, Flavio was well schooled from an early age,...
, records the restorations and excavations undertaken in the gardens, noting the discovery of extensive marble floors and other remains. Fra Giocondo remarked on the famous collection of Roman marbles at Casa Colonna, which included a torso
Torso
Trunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. The trunk includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
of Hercules and perhaps the Three Graces now at Siena. Biondo, who was inspired to begin his Roma instaurata, the first archaeological topology of ancient Rome, in Colonna's company, when they were on a trip to view the Roman theater at Albano; Biondo refers to Colonna as alter nostri saeculi Maecenas, "for our times another Maecenas", in part for his restorations to his titular church, San Giorgio in Velabro, now largely effaced by modern restorations intended to recapture its medieval ambience. The Cardinal commissioned Leon Battista Alberti to raise the Roman ship that was known to lie in the bootom of Lake Nemi
Lake Nemi
Lake Nemi is a small circular volcanic lake in the Lazio region of Italy south of Rome, taking its name from Nemi, the largest town in the area, that overlooks it from a height.-Archaeology and history:The lake is most famous for its sunken Roman ships...
; the undertaking, which was not successful, furnished the subject of an essay by Alberti, which has not survived. The antiquarian Ciriaco d'Ancona fondly recalled the hospitality of Cardinal Colonna and his kinsmen, which identified Colonna's association with the current of renovation that was under weigh in early Renaissance Rome.
Colonna died on March 24, 1463, and was buried in Santi Apostoli
Santi Apostoli
The Church of the Twelve Holy Apostles is a 6th century Roman Catholic parish and titular church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy, dedicated originally to St. James and St. Philip and later to all Apostles...
in Rome.