Juan Everardo Nithard (''Johann Eberhard Nithard'', in German) (Falkenstein (

Upper Austria Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states or of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, an ...

), 8 December 1607 – Rome, 1 February 1681) was an Austrian priest of the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

, confessor of

Mariana of Austria Mariana of Austria ( es, Mariana de Austria) or Maria Anna (24 December 163416 May 1696) was Queen of Spain as the second wife of her uncle Philip IV of Spain from their marriage in 1649 until Philip died in 1665. She was then appointed regent f ...

(Queen and Regent of Spain), cardinal, and ''valido'' (royal favorite) of Spain.

Biography

Born in a Catholic family in

Tirol Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...

, at the age of 21 he entered the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

and studied at the

University of Graz The University of Graz (german: link=no, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, ), located in Graz, Austria, is the largest and oldest university in Styria, as well as the second-largest and second-oldest university in Austria. History The univers ...

. Emperor Ferdinand III made him preceptor of his children

Leopold Leopold may refer to: People * Leopold (given name) * Leopold (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons'' * Leopold Bloom, the protagonist o ...

and Mariana. When Archduchess Mariana married her maternal uncle King

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered ...

in 1649, Nithard accompanied her as her confessor to the Spanish Court. When the King died, Queen Mariana became regent for her four-year-old son Charles. She made Nithard

Grand Inquisitor Grand Inquisitor ( la, Inquisitor Generalis, literally ''Inquisitor General'' or ''General Inquisitor'') was the lead official of the Inquisition. The title usually refers to the chief inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition, even after the reuni ...

in 1666, which gave him access to the Regency Board, from where he became the most important person of the Spanish Court. From then on he was the de facto prime minister or ''valido'' of Spain. He allied himself with the influential royal favorite

Mariana Engracia Álvarez de Toledo Portugal y Alfonso-Pimentel Mariana Engracia de Toledo Portugal y Pimentel (1623-1686), was a Spanish courtier. She was the lady-in-waiting (junior '' Camarera mayor de Palacio'') to the queen of Spain, Mariana of Austria, and the ''aya'' (nurse or royal governess) to king C ...

. When Nithard signed the disadvantageous

Treaty of Lisbon (1668) The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain that was concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668 with the mediation of England in which Spain recognised the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of B ...

with Portugal and

Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1668) __NOTOC__ The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle or Aachen ended the War of Devolution between France and Spain. It was signed on 2 May 1668 in Aachen (french: Aix-la-Chapelle). Spain acceded on 7 May 1669. The treaty was mediated and guaranteed by th ...

with France, the members of the Councils and in particular John Joseph of Austria started plotting to overthrow him. In 1669 he was dismissed by a military '' pronunciamiento'' led by John. After his dismissal, Nithard was named ambassador in Rome,

Bishop of Agrigento The Italian Catholic Archdiocese of Agrigento ( la, Archidioecesis Agrigentina), in Sicily, was elevated to archiepiscopal status in 2000.

, and later Archbishop (Titular bishop) of Edessa. In 1672

Pope Clement X Pope Clement X ( la, Clemens X; it, Clemente X; 13 July 1590 – 22 July 1676), born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 April 1670 to his death in July 1676. Elected pope at ag ...

made him a cardinal. He wrote his ''Memorias'', died in 1681, and was buried in the

Church of the Gesu Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

in Rome.

References

External links

* *https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-08339-1.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Nithard, Juan Everardo Spanish politicians 1607 births 1681 deaths 17th-century Austrian Jesuits Grand Inquisitors of Spain Bishops of Edessa Jesuit cardinals