Gerardo Da Sesso
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Gerardo da Sesso ( – 16 December 1211) was an
Italia Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
n monk, bishop and
cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
. Gerardo came from a prominent Emilian family with
Ghibelline The Guelphs and Ghibellines ( , ; ) were factions supporting the Pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman Emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages. During the 12th and 13th centu ...
leanings. He received a theological education, even penning a ''
summa Summa and its diminutive summula (plural ''summae'' and ''summulae'', respectively) was a medieval didactics literary genre written in Latin, born during the 12th century, and popularized in 13th century Europe. In its simplest sense, they might ...
'' of his own, before joining the
Cistercians The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
. He was the abbot of Tiglieto from 1205 until 1209, bishop-elect of Novara from 1209 until his death and cardinal bishop-elect of Albano from April 1211 until his death. He was elected
archbishop of Milan The Archdiocese of Milan (; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy which covers the areas of Milan, Monza, Lecco and Varese. It has long maintained its own Latin liturgical rite usage, the Amb ...
in 1211, but the election was irregular and he ignored it. He was a staunch ally of Pope
Innocent III Pope Innocent III (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...
. From when he was first made a ''visitator et provisor'' of the region of
Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
in 1205 or 1206 until his death, he worked ceaselessly for the reform of the Lombard clergy. After 1210, in the contest over the imperial throne, he strove for the Ghibelline candidate, Frederick II, against the Guelph
Otto IV Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218. Otto spent most of his early life in England and France. He was a follower of his uncle Richard the Lionheart, who made him Count of Poitou in 1196 ...
. In April 1211, he was promoted to
apostolic legate An apostolic nuncio (; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is a ...
of Lombardy. One of his first legatine acts was to defend the
Humiliati The Humiliati (Italian ) were an Italian religious order of men formed probably in the 12th century. It was suppressed by a papal bull in 1571 though an associated order of women continued into the 20th century. Origin The origin of the order of ...
. He was never
consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
and was only ever a bishop-elect.


Early life

Gerardo was born in
Reggio nell'Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia (; ), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 172,518 inhabitants and is ...
around 1160. The were a prominent
Ghibelline The Guelphs and Ghibellines ( , ; ) were factions supporting the Pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman Emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages. During the 12th and 13th centu ...
family. They take their name from , north of Reggio. By 1192, Gerardo held the title '' magister'', indicating that he had completed some formal education, probably at either
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
or
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
. He developed ties with the schools of
Cremona Cremona ( , , ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po (river), Po river in the middle of the Po Valley. It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local city a ...
under Bishop Sicardo (1185–1215) and may have worked as a teacher for a time. By April 1192, Gerardo had entered the
chapter Chapter or Chapters may refer to: Books * Chapter (books), a main division of a piece of writing or document * Chapter book, a story book intended for intermediate readers, generally age 7–10 * Chapters (bookstore), Canadian big box bookstore ...
of the
cathedral of Parma Parma Cathedral () is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Parma, Emilia-Romagna, dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Parma. It is an important Italian Romanesque architecture, Romanesque ...
, where his relative, Guidotto de Sesso, was
provost Provost may refer to: Officials Ecclesiastic * Provost (religion), a high-ranking church official * Prince-provost, a high-ranking church official Government * Provost (civil), an officer of local government, including the equivalent ...
. In that month, Pope
Celestine III Pope Celestine III (; c. 1105 – 8 January 1198), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 March or 10 April 1191 to his death in 1198. He had a tense relationship with several monarchs, including Emperor ...
charged him with assisting the provost of cathedral of Reggio in resolving a dispute there. In 1199 or 1200, he left the cathedral for the
Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
abbey of Tiglieto. By November 1205, he had been elected abbot.


Reformer of Lombardy


Abbot, bishop and ''visitator''

Shortly after his election as abbot, he was appointed ''visitator et provisor Lombardie'' by Pope
Innocent III Pope Innocent III (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...
to conduct a visitation and
inquisition The Inquisition was a Catholic Inquisitorial system#History, judicial procedure where the Ecclesiastical court, ecclesiastical judges could initiate, investigate and try cases in their jurisdiction. Popularly it became the name for various med ...
of
Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
as part of the pope's reform of the north Italian clergy. He was assisted in this by Bishop Lotario of Vercelli and the priest Alberto di Mantova, who was replaced by Bishop Pietro of Ivrea in 1207. He was first active in
Novara Novara (; Novarese Lombard, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous ...
,
Ivrea Ivrea (; ; ; ) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Situated on the road leading to the Aosta Valley (part of the medieval Via Francigena), it straddles the Dora Baltea and is ...
and
Asti Asti ( , ; ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) of 74,348 inhabitants (1–1–2021) located in the Italy, Italian region of Piedmont, about east of Turin, in the plain of the Tanaro, Tanaro River. It is the capital of the province of Asti and ...
; then from June 1206 in
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
, where he had to mediate between the archbishop and the treasurer. He investigated the conduct of Crimerio, the exiled Cistercian
bishop of Piacenza A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...
, between 1206 and 1208. They imposed sanctions on Piacenza. In March 1208, Gerardo, Lotario and Pietro passed a judgement against Bishop Oberto of Albenga. In November 1208, Gerardo, Pietro and Archbishop suspended Crimerio for having given in to Piacenza's demands. In December 1208, Innocent III ordered Gerardo and Pietro to depose the bishop of Albenga. He also charged Gerardo, Pietro and Bishop Sicardo of Cremona with preaching a new crusade in Lombardy, which ultimately became the
Fifth Crusade The Fifth Crusade (September 1217 - August 29, 1221) was a campaign in a series of Crusades by Western Europeans to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering Egypt, ruled by the powerful Ayyubid sultanate, led by al- ...
. Gerardo was selected by the consuls of Genoa to arbitrate their conflict with
Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...
. On 19 March 1208, with another arbitrator, the abbot of San Galgano, he ordered the two cities to observe the peace handed down by
apostolic legate An apostolic nuncio (; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is a ...
s in 1188. A truce was signed on 1 November and on 26 April 1209 the arbitrators handed down a new peace based on that of 1188. In late March or early April 1209, Gerardo was elected
bishop of Novara The Diocese of Novara () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vercelli.consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
, remaining only a bishop-elect. He was force to step down as abbot when he accepted the bishopric. Following the excommunication of the Emperor
Otto IV Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218. Otto spent most of his early life in England and France. He was a follower of his uncle Richard the Lionheart, who made him Count of Poitou in 1196 ...
in 1210, he worked for the cause of Frederick of Sicily as imperial candidate. In 1210, he arranged the election of Fulco Scotti to succeed Crimerio in Piacenza. He continued to act as ''visitator et provisor Lombardie'' until at least March 1211.


Cardinal and legate

In April 1211, Innocent III appointed him
cardinal bishop of Albano The Diocese of Albano () is a Latin suburbicarian see of the Diocese of Rome in Italy, comprising seven towns in the Province of Rome. Albano Laziale is situated on the Appian Way some from Rome. Since 1966, it has both a titular bishop and a d ...
and promoted him to apostolic legate in Lombardy. He was still not immediately consecrated.; . The earliest surviving document he issued as legate was drawn up at
Trezzo sull'Adda Trezzo sull'Adda (Milanese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan on the Adda River. The Naviglio Martesana canal starts from the Adda in Trezzo's te ...
on 19 April. Addressed to all the churchmen of his legation, it proclaims official approval of the
Humiliati The Humiliati (Italian ) were an Italian religious order of men formed probably in the 12th century. It was suppressed by a papal bull in 1571 though an associated order of women continued into the 20th century. Origin The origin of the order of ...
, encourages clergy to attend their meetings and forbids the clergy to interfere with them.. See also . Gerardo reached Novara by 29 April, but quickly left for Milan, where Uberto da Pirovano had recently died. On 4 May, he was elected archbishop, but neither he nor the pope ever accepted the election. As legate, one of his primary goals would be enforcing the excommunication of Otto IV and his agents. On 7 June 1211, accompanied by the abbot of Chiaravalle della Colomba, Gerardo was in Cremona to arrange the election of
Giordano Forzatè Giordano Forzatè, anglicized as Jordan Forzatè (1158 – 7 August 1248), was a Paduan Benedictine monk and religious leader. For his noble background, peacemaking efforts, and monastic reforms, the '' Chronicle of the Trevisan March'' calls him t ...
to the vacant
diocese of Ferrara The Archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio () is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church. It has existed since 1986, when the diocese of Comacchio was combined with the historical archdiocese of Ferrara. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese ...
. His effort failed. Giordano refused the election and the Ferrarese were divided between those who favoured Otto and those who favoured Frederick. On 8 June, he intervened at
Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
, where Bishop was in conflict with the catheral chapter. He then tried to go to
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
, accompanied by Sicardo of Cremona, but a Bolognese delegation met him at
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
and dissuaded him, because the same conflict between Otto's and Frederick's supporters was latent in their city. Gerardo tried to force the resignation of Bishop Gerardo Ariosti of Bologna, but it took papal intervention in the following year to remove him. In early July 1211, he went to Cremona to adjudicate a dispute between the
abbey of Nonantola Nonantola Abbey, dedicated to Saint Sylvester, is a former Benedictine monastery and '' prelature nullius'' in the commune of Nonantola, c. 10 km north-east of Modena, in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy. The abbey church remains as a basili ...
and the . He then moved to
Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...
, where he forced the bishop, , to resign and confirmed the apostolic protection of . In October 1211, Gerardo held a diocesan synod in Novara, which promulgated stricter rules for the conduct of the clergy. The same month he ordered the canons of the cathedral of Piacenza to abide by their own rules. He was still in Novara on 31 October, but by late November he was in Cremona, preparing to oppose the arrival of Otto IV. He died at Cremona on 16 December. He was buried at Cremona.


Writings

Gerardo wrote a theological ''
summa Summa and its diminutive summula (plural ''summae'' and ''summulae'', respectively) was a medieval didactics literary genre written in Latin, born during the 12th century, and popularized in 13th century Europe. In its simplest sense, they might ...
'' in
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
, known by its
incipit The incipit ( ) of a text is the first few words of the text, employed as an identifying label. In a musical composition, an incipit is an initial sequence of Musical note, notes, having the same purpose. The word ''incipit'' comes from Latin an ...
as ''Ne transgrediaris''. Its
explicit Explicit refers to something that is specific, clear, or detailed. It can also mean: * Explicit knowledge, knowledge that can be readily articulated, codified and transmitted to others * Explicit (text), the final words of a text; contrast with inc ...
is ''quod non fecit Adam'' and it is preserved in two manuscripts, Vat. lat. 10754 and
Zwettl Zwettl (; Central Bavarian: ''Zwedl''; Czech: ''Světlá'') is a town and district capital of the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is chiefly known as the location of Zwettl Abbey, first mentioned in October 1139. History The name origina ...
305. It bears some resemblance to the writings of the contemporary Cremonese scholar Prepositino. It was written after the pontificate of
Urban III Pope Urban III (; died 20 October 1187), born Uberto Crivelli, reigned from 25 November 1185 to his death in 1187. Early career Crivelli was born in Cuggiono, Italy as the son of Guala Crivelli and had four brothers: Pietro, Domenico, Pastore ...
(1185–1187), since it cites one of his
decretal Decretals () are letters of a pope that formulate decisions in canon law (Catholic Church), ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church.McGurk. ''Dictionary of Medieval Terms''. p. 10 They are generally given in answer to consultations but are some ...
s. A reference from 1181 to a ''summa Girardi'' donated to the cathedral of Novara is probably to a different work, or else to a very early edition of Gerardo's ''summa'' that he later revised. The most likely date for the composition of the ''summa'' is Gerardo's period at Tiglieto from 1200 to 1205. Both manuscripts present the text without attribution, but a 15th-century catalogue of the Basilica of Santo Spirito in Florence names the author as Gerardus Novariensis (Gerard of Novara). The manuscript Vat. lat. 1104, a copy of
Gregory of Rimini Blessed Gregory of Rimini, Order of Saint Augustine, O.E.S.A. (Latin Beatus Gregorius de Arimino or Ariminiensis) (c. 1300 – November 1358), was one of the great Scholasticism, scholastic philosophers and theologians of the Middle Ages. He was ...
's ''Sentences'', cites ''Ne transgrediaris'' in a marginal note, confirming the authorship of Gerardus Novariensis. .


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gerardo da Sesso 1160 births 1211 deaths People from Reggio Emilia Cistercian abbots Bishops of Novara Cardinal-bishops of Albano 13th-century Italian cardinals 13th-century Italian Roman Catholic theologians 13th-century writers in Latin 13th-century Christian abbots