Galeotto Franciotti della Rovere

Biography

della Rovere was born in Lucca in 1471, the son of Francesco Franciotti and Luchina della Rovere, a member of the House of della Rovere. He was a grandnephew of Pope Sixtus IV and a nephew of Pope Julius II. His half-brother, Sisto Gara della Rovere, also became a cardinal.

He was elected Bishop of Lucca in October or November 1503 and occupied that office until his death. He was consecrated as a bishop by his uncle Pope Julius II.

Pope Julius II made him a cardinal priest in the consistory of 29 November 1503. He received the red hat and the titular church of San Pietro in Vincoli on 6 December 1503.

On 30 August 1504 he became the apostolic administrator of the see of Benevento, and filled this office until his death. He became administrator of the see of Cremona from 27 May 1505, holding that post until shortly before his death. He was Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church from 31 May 1505 until his death. In May 1506, he was papal legate to Bologna. In August 1507, he became administrator of the see of Vicenza. He was a patron of the arts and a good friend of Cardinal Giovanni de' Medici, who later became Pope Leo X.

One historian notes:

The services of della Rovere to England as Cardinal protector are noted as the granting of a papal indulgence to John Mortymen, a chamber of official of King Henry VII, on 21 June 1506; arranging for Pope Julius II to make (on 18 August 1506) Robert Haldesworth of the Archdiocese of York a papal notary; and on Candlemas Day (15 February 1507/8), ceremoniously accepting candles blessed by the pope to give to Hugh Inge to take to the royal court. His last recorded act was to persuade the Pope to grant King Henry VII's demand to have revenues from the episcopal see of Durham diverted to the costs of repairing fortifications along the border between England and Scotland, which the Pope granted on 26 July 1508; della Rovere suddenly died less than two months later, in Rome, on 11 September 1508. He is buried in Santi Apostoli, Rome.

References

References

1. "Biographical Dictionary of the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church".
2. Herbert M. Vaughan, B.A., ''[https://archive.org/details/medicipopesleoxc00vauguoft The Medici Popes (Leo X and Clement VII)]'', London: Methuen & Co., p. 53-54
3. William E. Wilkie, [https://books.google.com/books?id=viA9AAAAIAAJ&q=%22Galeotto%20della%20Rovere%22 ''The Cardinal Protectors of England: Rome and the Tudors Before the Reformation''] (Cambridge University Press, 1974) pp. 77-78