René de Birague
Encyclopedia
René de Birague was an Italian patrician who became a French cardinal
and chancellor
.
, he was the son of Giangiacomo Galeazzo Birago, ambassador of the duke of Milan in France, and Anna Trivulzio. Sent to papal Avignon
, he cut his studies short to take up family duties at the unexpected death of his father. As a doctor of law he was admitted to the Collegio d'avvocati of Milan in 1536. After the battle of Pavia
(1525), when the French and their sympathizers were expelled from Milan, he and his three brothers, Louis, Pierre and Charles, escaped to France to avoid the vengeance of Francesco II Sforza
, duke of Milan. Declared a traitor by the Spanish government in Milan, his properties were confiscated in 1536 (they were partially restored in 1556).
Francis I of France
named him counselor of the parlement de Paris. Later, during French control of Piedmont
, he was Maestro delle Richieste of the Parliament of Turin
, (1539) and its president in 1543.
He married Valentina Balbiano (1518–1572), with whom he had two children, but after her death he took minor orders in Milan. Made president of the Superior Council of Pinerolo
, January 9, 1563, then French ambassador to the Council of Trent
in April, he was appointed Francis's ambassador to Emperor Ferdinand I
in June and then to Maximilian
, king of the Romans.
He obtained a brevet of naturalization, September 1565, taking the name René de Birague, and his political career at the court of Charles IX
advanced rapidly. He accompanied the king in his trip to Guyenne
and served as procurator and lieutenant general in Lyon and other places September 1565 until 1568. Lyon, the scene of violence Protestant and Catholic clashes, was largely controlled by a deeply resented Italian economic elite.
Closer to the court, he became Superintendent of Finances
, 1568–1570. Knight of the Order of Saint-Michel
, and eventually Commander of the Order of Saint-Esprit
, (1579).
In 1570, Charles IX named him keeper of the seals
, a post that gave him a seat in the secret council. Thus, by virtue of his post, he attended the secret meeting of the council that decided upon the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
of Huguenots, August 24, 1572; he was in the King's chamber with the dukes of Guise and Nevers, Tavannes and Retz, when Queen Catherine de' Medici
arrived to determine the king, who was undecided. Birague was named chancellor
of France as a reward for his participation, March 17, 1573; he was also promoted to the cardinalate February 21, 1578 under the insistence of Henry III
, though he never went to Rome to receive the red hat. He is alleged to have said that he was a cardinal without a title, a priest without benefices and a chancellor without the seal (Berton, Dictionnaire des cardinaux, quoted),
He died at Paris in 1583. His tomb included his portrait as a kneeling figure by Germain Pilon
, who also executed the funeral cadaver portrait of his wife (both now in the Louvre Museum).
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
and chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
.
Biography
Born at MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, he was the son of Giangiacomo Galeazzo Birago, ambassador of the duke of Milan in France, and Anna Trivulzio. Sent to papal Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
, he cut his studies short to take up family duties at the unexpected death of his father. As a doctor of law he was admitted to the Collegio d'avvocati of Milan in 1536. After the battle of Pavia
Battle of Pavia
The Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–26.A Spanish-Imperial army under the nominal command of Charles de Lannoy attacked the French army under the personal command of Francis I of France in the great hunting preserve...
(1525), when the French and their sympathizers were expelled from Milan, he and his three brothers, Louis, Pierre and Charles, escaped to France to avoid the vengeance of Francesco II Sforza
Francesco II Sforza
Francesco II Sforza , also known as Francesco Maria Sforza, was the last Duke of Milan from 1521 until his death.He was the son of Ludovico Sforza and Beatrice d'Este...
, duke of Milan. Declared a traitor by the Spanish government in Milan, his properties were confiscated in 1536 (they were partially restored in 1556).
Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
named him counselor of the parlement de Paris. Later, during French control of Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, he was Maestro delle Richieste of the Parliament of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, (1539) and its president in 1543.
He married Valentina Balbiano (1518–1572), with whom he had two children, but after her death he took minor orders in Milan. Made president of the Superior Council of Pinerolo
Pinerolo
Pinerolo is a town and comune in north-western Italy, 40 kilometres southwest of Turin on the river Chisone.-History:In the Middle Ages, the town of Pinerolo was one of the main crossroads in Italy, and was therefore one of the principal fortresses of the dukes of Savoy. Its military importance...
, January 9, 1563, then French ambassador to the Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
in April, he was appointed Francis's ambassador to Emperor Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
in June and then to Maximilian
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
, king of the Romans.
He obtained a brevet of naturalization, September 1565, taking the name René de Birague, and his political career at the court of Charles IX
Charles IX of France
Charles IX was King of France, ruling from 1560 until his death. His reign was dominated by the Wars of Religion. He is best known as king at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.-Childhood:...
advanced rapidly. He accompanied the king in his trip to Guyenne
Guyenne
Guyenne or Guienne , , ; Occitan Guiana ) is a vaguely defined historic region of south-western France. The Province of Guyenne, sometimes called the Province of Guyenne and Gascony, was a large province of pre-revolutionary France....
and served as procurator and lieutenant general in Lyon and other places September 1565 until 1568. Lyon, the scene of violence Protestant and Catholic clashes, was largely controlled by a deeply resented Italian economic elite.
Closer to the court, he became Superintendent of Finances
Superintendent of Finances
The Superintendent of Finances was the name of the minister in charge of finances in France from 1561 to 1661. The position was abolished in 1661 with the downfall of Nicolas Fouquet, and a new position was created, the Controller-General of Finances....
, 1568–1570. Knight of the Order of Saint-Michel
Order of Saint Michael
The Order of Saint Michael was a French chivalric order, founded by Louis XI of France in 1469, in competitive response to the Burgundian Order of the Golden Fleece founded by Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, Louis' chief competitor for the allegiance of the great houses of France, the Dukes of...
, and eventually Commander of the Order of Saint-Esprit
Order of the Holy Spirit
The Order of the Holy Spirit, also known as the Order of the Knights of the Holy Spirit, was an Order of Chivalry under the French Monarchy. It should not be confused with the Congregation of the Holy Ghost or with the Order of the Holy Ghost...
, (1579).
In 1570, Charles IX named him keeper of the seals
Keeper of the seals
The title Keeper of the Seals or equivalent is used in several contexts, denoting the person entitled to keep and authorize use of the Great Seal of a given country. The title may or may not be linked to a particular cabinet or ministerial office.- Canada :...
, a post that gave him a seat in the secret council. Thus, by virtue of his post, he attended the secret meeting of the council that decided upon the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations, followed by a wave of Roman Catholic mob violence, both directed against the Huguenots , during the French Wars of Religion...
of Huguenots, August 24, 1572; he was in the King's chamber with the dukes of Guise and Nevers, Tavannes and Retz, when Queen Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France....
arrived to determine the king, who was undecided. Birague was named chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of France as a reward for his participation, March 17, 1573; he was also promoted to the cardinalate February 21, 1578 under the insistence of Henry III
Henry III of France
Henry III was King of France from 1574 to 1589. As Henry of Valois, he was the first elected monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual titles of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.-Childhood:Henry was born at the Royal Château de Fontainebleau,...
, though he never went to Rome to receive the red hat. He is alleged to have said that he was a cardinal without a title, a priest without benefices and a chancellor without the seal (Berton, Dictionnaire des cardinaux, quoted),
He died at Paris in 1583. His tomb included his portrait as a kneeling figure by Germain Pilon
Germain Pilon
Germain Pilon was a French Renaissance sculptor.-Biography:He was born in Paris. Trained by his father and Pierre Bontemps, Pilon was an expert with marble, bronze, wood and terra cotta; from about 1555 he was providing models for Parisian goldsmiths...
, who also executed the funeral cadaver portrait of his wife (both now in the Louvre Museum).
Sources
- Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church: René de Birague