Francesco Uguccione
Encyclopedia
Francesco Uguccione († 14 July 1412) was the Archbishop of Bordeaux from 1384 until his death. He was a lawyer from Urbino
and a staunch supporter of the King of England in the Hundred Years' War
.
In his early years Uguccione was a legate at Barcelona
before he was appointed to the vacant see of Bordeaux.
In 1400, Uguccione, along with John Bowet, Bishop of Bath and Wells
, and Hugh Despenser, was appointed proctor
for Gascony
. By 1406, the French
had gained a strong upper hand in the region. Uguccione was by then a cardinal. In spring and summer of that year he began a long string of desperate letters to the English king, Henry Bolingbroke
. He implored His Majesty for aid and assured him of the gravity of the situation, including the death of the lord of Mussidan
, a Gascon loyal to the English, who had been commanding the fortress at Blaye
and had left only a daughter. On 30 June, he wrote: "I have written to you so many times and so lengthily concerning the state of your land, and I have cried so much that my voice has become hoarse."
As an influential diplomat and cardinal, Uguccione travelled extensively in the early 15th century. In Autumn 1408 he went to England
, where he sought to persuade the English as per the summons of the College of Cardinals
to send a delegation to the Council of Pisa
then struggling to put an end to the Western Schism
. He convinced the English, but the council did nothing but exacerbate the schism.
From England Uguccione, accompanied by his secretary Pey Berland
went to Italy and in 1410 the archbishop rewarded Berland with one of the canonries of Bordeaux Cathedral. In 1412 the two were in Florence
when Uguccione died. Berland supervised his burial and then went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land
before returning once more to Bordeaux. In 1413 Berland was rewarded post mortem by his old master when Pope John XXIII
, fulfilling a request by Uguccione that "his beloved servant" Berland not be forgotten, granted the canon a prebend. Uguccione was succeeded as archbishop by David de Montferrand.
Urbino
Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482...
and a staunch supporter of the King of England in the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
.
In his early years Uguccione was a legate at Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
before he was appointed to the vacant see of Bordeaux.
In 1400, Uguccione, along with John Bowet, Bishop of Bath and Wells
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
, and Hugh Despenser, was appointed proctor
Proctor
Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...
for Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
. By 1406, the French
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
had gained a strong upper hand in the region. Uguccione was by then a cardinal. In spring and summer of that year he began a long string of desperate letters to the English king, Henry Bolingbroke
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
. He implored His Majesty for aid and assured him of the gravity of the situation, including the death of the lord of Mussidan
Mussidan
Mussidan is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-International relations:It is twinned with Woodbridge, Suffolk, England.* Vigy, France; since 1990-References:*...
, a Gascon loyal to the English, who had been commanding the fortress at Blaye
Blaye
Blaye is a commune and subprefecture in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:Its inhabitants are called Blayais or the Blayaises.-Geography:...
and had left only a daughter. On 30 June, he wrote: "I have written to you so many times and so lengthily concerning the state of your land, and I have cried so much that my voice has become hoarse."
As an influential diplomat and cardinal, Uguccione travelled extensively in the early 15th century. In Autumn 1408 he went to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he sought to persuade the English as per the summons of the College of Cardinals
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
to send a delegation to the Council of Pisa
Council of Pisa
The Council of Pisa was an unrecognized ecumenical council of the Catholic Church held in 1409 that attempted to end the Western Schism by deposing Benedict XIII and Gregory XII...
then struggling to put an end to 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...
. He convinced the English, but the council did nothing but exacerbate the schism.
From England Uguccione, accompanied by his secretary Pey Berland
Pey Berland
Blessed Pey Berland was the Archbishop of Bordeaux from 1430 until his abdication, during a pivotal time in the history of the city and of Gascony...
went to Italy and in 1410 the archbishop rewarded Berland with one of the canonries of Bordeaux Cathedral. In 1412 the two were in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
when Uguccione died. Berland supervised his burial and then went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
before returning once more to Bordeaux. In 1413 Berland was rewarded post mortem by his old master when Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
, fulfilling a request by Uguccione that "his beloved servant" Berland not be forgotten, granted the canon a prebend. Uguccione was succeeded as archbishop by David de Montferrand.
Sources
- Labarge, Margaret WadeMargaret Wade LabargeMargaret Wade Labarge was a Canadian historian and author specializing in the role of women in the Middle Ages. She was adjunct professor of history at Carleton University....
. Gascony, England's First Colony 1204–1453. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1980.