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Scipione Cobelluzzi (1564 – 29 June 1626) was an Italian
cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
, archivist and librarian. He was chief archivist of the Vatican Secret Archives (which now holds over 85 linear kilometres of shelving), from 17 February 1618 until his death on 29 June 1626.


Early years

Scipione Cobelluzzi was born in Viterbo into a well-off family: according to the
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
Angelo Galluzzi, who gave his funeral oration, his father, a pharmacist, became ''conservatore'' (magistrate) of Viterbo on the same day that Scipione was born. He was educated in Rome by the Jesuits in the 'Collegio Nardini' and studied Greek privately with Niccolò Alemanni. He also studied at the Archgymnasium of Rome. He graduated in civil and canon law from the Sapienza University of Rome. There were other cardinals in his family, including
Girolamo Bernerio Girolamo Cardinal Bernerio, O.P. (1540 – 5 August 1611) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Biography Bernerio was born in Corregio. He served as Bishop of Ascoli Piceno from 1586 until his resignation in 1605. He was ...
, Francesco Cennini de' Salamandri, and Desiderio Scaglia. Cobelluzzi worked as a prefect for Alessandro Gloriero, president of the
Annona ''Annona'' (from Taíno ''annon'') is a genus of flowering plants in the pawpaw/sugar apple family, Annonaceae. It is the second largest genus in the family after ''Guatteria'', containing approximately 166
, and then as secretary to Cardinal Girolamo Bernerio. In 1609, he served as the
Secretary of Briefs A papal brief or breve is a formal document emanating from the Pope, in a somewhat simpler and more modern form than a papal bull. History The introduction of briefs, which occurred at the beginning of the pontificate of Pope Eugene IV (3 Marc ...
. He also taught law at the university. Although Cobelluzzi's publications have not survived, he had the reputation of being well educated, erudite and an eloquent speaker. He became domestic secretary to Pope Paul V, who appointed him in 1611 to a position in the Papal Curia and in 1615, custodian of the Archive of
Castel Sant'Angelo The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as Castel Sant'Angelo (; English: ''Castle of the Holy Angel''), is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausol ...
. On 17 October 1616 he was named Cardinal-Priest of Santa Susanna, and he was then appointed Cardinal Librarian on 17 February 1618. In this last post, in 1622, he directed
Leo Allatius Leo Allatius (Greek: Λέων Αλλάτιος, ''Leon Allatios'', Λιωνής Αλάτζης, ''Lionis Allatzis''; Italian: ''Leone Allacci, Allacio''; Latin: ''Leo Allatius, Allacius''; c. 1586 – January 19, 1669) was a Greek scholar, theolog ...
, who had made the journey to Heidelberg for the transfer, in the acquisition of the Palatine Library. While Cardinal, his secretary was Vincenzo Gramigna. Cobelluzzi was also Cardinal Archivist for the Vatican Secret Archives from 1618 to 1626"Cardinal archivists"
''Archivum Secretum Vaticanum''. Accessed 20 June 2013.
(the word "Secret" is better understood to mean 'private' than 'secret' in this context)."The Archives"
''Archivum Secretum Vaticanum''. Accessed 21 June 2013.
The Vatican library also has a record of the astrological prediction by Gioanni Bartolini for 1618, given to him when he was Cardinal-Priest of Santa Susanna. After the death of Paul V on 28 January 1621, perhaps in gratitude to the former pope, Cobelluzzi supported the candidacy of Scipione Borghese at the
papal conclave A papal conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop of Rome, also known as the pope. Catholics consider the pope to be the Apostolic succession, apostolic successor of Saint ...
which elected Pope Gregory XV; later, they were not on good terms. He was a member of the Inquisition and one of the cardinals who questioned
Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a polymath. Commonly referred to as Galileo, his name was pronounced (, ). He was ...
after he came to Rome, and also of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, created on 6 January 1622, to which he gave 100 scudi a year for ransoming prisoners of the Turks. He was also one of the cardinals on the commission created to adjudicate the proposed marriage between the Prince of Wales, the future Charles I of England, and the Infanta Maria Anna of Spain; in 1623 the commission recommended to the Pope that the marriage be permitted. After the death of
Pope Gregory XV Pope Gregory XV ( la, Gregorius XV; it, Gregorio XV; 9 January 15548 July 1623), born Alessandro Ludovisi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 February 1621 to his death in July 1623. Biography Early life Al ...
on 8 July 1623, Cobelluzzi participated in the conclave of 1623. He was considered to belong to the French faction and with a reputation as a "spiritual" man, was one of the major candidates to succeed him, Pope Urban VIII was elected. While on a pilgrimage from
Montecassino Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Latin Valley, Italy, west of Cassino and at an elevation of . Site of the Roman town of Casinum, it is widely known for its abbey, the first h ...
to Loreto, he developed a cancerous lesion or
gangrene Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the ga ...
in an arm, which led to his death in 1626. He is buried in the Church of Santa Susanna at the Baths of Diocletian in Rome. Deeply revered for his writings and promoting religious order, he was buried in a tomb with a plaque extolling his virtues and contributions and depicting his heraldic arms. He willed his possessions to the Jesuit College.


References


External links


''Archivum Secretum Vaticanum''
The Papal Archives website
The Church of Santa Susanna
official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Cobelluzzi, Sciopione Italian archivists Italian librarians People from Viterbo 1564 births 1626 deaths 16th-century Italian Roman Catholic priests 17th-century Italian cardinals