Pompeo Colonna
Pompeo Colonna was an Italian noble, condottiero, politician, and cardinal. At the culmination of his career he was Viceroy of the Kingdom of Naples for the Emperor Charles V. Born in Rome, he was the son of Girolamo Colonna, whose father Antonio was second Prince of Salerno; and Vittoria Conti, of the Conti de Poli. His family belonged to the highest rank of nobility both of the City of Rome and of the Kingdom of Naples. Pompeo and his family were hereditary supporters of the Holy Roman Empire, and they spent their careers fighting their hereditary enemies, the Orsini family, and defending and expanding their family territories and interests. He played a significant, if sometimes disruptive, role in the Conclaves of 1521 and 1523 on behalf of the Imperial interest. His family commitments and his conclave activities brought Pompeo into conflict with the second Medici pope, Clement VII, whose election he vigorously opposed, and made him a leading figure in the attempted overthrow of Pope Clement and the Sack of Rome in 1527.
Early career
Pompeo's father was killed on 4 March 1482, when Pompeo was not yet three years old. Young Pompeo was given a rigorous upbringing at Monte Compatrum in the Tusculan hills east of Frascati, under the watchful eyes of his uncles Prospero and Cardinal Giovanni Colonna. He and his first-cousin Marcantonio Colonna, his friend and constant companion, were in constant rivalry with one another, especially in their enthusiasm for military affairs. In 1498, as a young man of eighteen, Pompeo fought alongside his uncle Prospero, Lord of Genazzano and Nemi, Duke of Traetto, Count of Fondi, against the traditional family enemies, the Orsini. His uncle took Pompeo to Naples after the Orsini affair was settled, and introduced the young man to King Federigo I, whose fast friend he quickly became. Pompeo later fought on behalf of the Spanish in several campaigns in 1503, culminating in the Battle of Garigliano, in which Piero de' Medici, the elder brother of Giovanni de' Medici was killed.It was decided by Pompeo's uncles that he should enter upon an ecclesiastical career, so that he could succeed to the rich benefices and powerful offices enjoyed by Cardinal Giovanni. He became the Cardinal's majordomo, apparently in 1504. With the cooperation of Pope Julius II, Pompeo was named Protonotary Apostolic in 1507. On the death of Cardinal Giovanni Colonna who had governed the See of Rieti since 1480, Pompeo was named bishop of Rieti by Pope Julius II on 6 October 1508. Pompeo ruled the diocese until he resigned in 1520 in favor of his nephew, Scipione Colonna. In 1520, just before his resignation, Cardinal Pompeo increased the number of Canons in the Cathedral of Rieti from twenty-eight to forty. The Cardinal was not a disinterested philanthropist, for, though he increased the numbers and prestige of the Canons, his nephew also gained twelve benefices which were at the disposal of the Bishop to reward Colonna followers. When Bishop Scipio Colonna resigned in 1528, Pompeo Colonna again became Bishop of Rieti, until he resigned in the next year in favor of his own secretary, Mario Aligeri. Pompeo Colonna was also abbot of Subiaco and Grottaferrata, again in succession to Giovanni Colonna; he was succeeded in 1513 by his nephew Scipione Colonna.
Trouble with Pope Julius
In 1511, when rumours of the imminent death of Pope Julius II spread, Pompeo and Antonio Savelli spurred the Roman population to rebel against the Papal authority. Paolo Giovio points out that Pompeo was indignant because in the most recent Consistory for the creation of Cardinals, there was no Roman among the eight creations. To the surprise of all, however, the barons of Rome were able to reach an agreement among themselves on 28 August 1511, and a truce was even arranged between the Orsini and the Colonna. The nascent civil war was over. When the Pope recovered, having been informed of the revolt by his niece, the Duchess of Urbino, he did not look with pleasure on Bishop Pompeo Colonna, and he was condemned. He fled to his Abbey of Subiaco, while several of his fellow conspirators fled to France. He was offered a pardon by Julius II, but he refused it, since the pardon did not include reinstatement as Bishop of Rieti. Pompeo was so angry that he even threatened to join the French, who had seized Bologna earlier in the year, but his uncle Prospero firmly dissuaded him from such wild designs.Pope Julius II died on Monday 21 February 1513 of a double tertian fever. Pompeo lost no time. He summoned all his friends to his Tusculan estates, and prepared his forces for a march on Rome. Both the Orsini and the Colonna factions entered the city on 22 February. Pompeo immediately made an attack on the house of Cardinal Antonio Maria Ciocchi del Monte, who had been made administrator of the Diocese of Rieti when Pompeo had been deposed in 1511, and on Mariano Cucini, an official of the Apostolic Camera, who had drawn up the information through which Pompeo had been condemned. Andrea della Valle undertook to work with the Senate of Rome to bring order back into the city, and managed to negotiate a truce between the Orsini and Colonna, and in particular with Pompeo, who was promised by the Senate that all would be made right if he would lay down his arms. His brother Fabrizio also intervened, and obtained a promise from Cardinal Ciocci del Monte that he would restore Pompeo's episcopal insignia. The Conclave of 1513 was able to proceed. The opening ceremonies took place in the Vatican Basilica on Friday 4 March, with twenty-five cardinals participating. On Friday 11 March the cardinals elected Giovanni de' Medici, who took the name Leo X.
Leo X (Medici) (1513–1521)
Immediately after the Election Leo X received Pompeo Colonna and allowed him to kiss his foot. Pompeo was restored to all of his ecclesiastical functions. Leo also presented Pompeo and his brother Fabrizio with a house and gardens which Julius II had built on land which he had confiscated from the Colonna. Having been reconciled with the Papacy, Pompeo spent the next two years in the city and at the Papal Court, enjoying the favor of Leo X.Pompeo Colonna, Bishop of Rieti, participated in the V Lateran Council, and at the Seventh Plenary Session on 27 June 1513, read out Pope Leo's memorandum on the work of the council, and also announced the postponement of the next Plenary Session until 16 November, due to the excessive heat of the season.
The Colonna family suffered a major disaster, when Pompeo's uncle, Prospero Colonna, was defeated and captured at Battle of Marignano on 14 September 1515. Prospero had been the leading general of the Sforza of Milan, and had been leading a force of Milanese and Papal troops, along with the Swiss, against the Genoese, who were reinforced by the French, led by the young King Francis I and the Chevalier Bayard. Prospero was defeated, captured, and deported to France. Bishop Pompeo Colonna made the journey to France to effect his release. Travelling in the middle of the winter of 1515–1516, he was caught in an avalanche which engulfed an embassy from Sion just a few steps in front of him. Reaching France, he spent six months until the French king made a decision. King Francis, meditating on a plan to reclaim the Angevin kingdom of Naples, and realizing that he would need the friendly cooperation of the Pope and assistance in the Papal States, generously agreed to release Prospero Colonna, on the condition that Prospero agree in writing to serve under Francis' banner. Having reached Italy, however, Prospero began to raise troops to put at the disposal of Charles V at the siege of Verona. Prospero sent his nephew Pompeo on an embassy to the Emperor Maximilian and King Charles, and charged him with winning over King Ferdinand, Max's grandson. In this he was successful. Ferdinand provided Pompeo with money, and he proceeded through Germany to Bruxelles, where he engaged in discussions with Prince Charles, who was then Duke of Burgundy and an Austrian Archduke. He was then recalled to Rome by his uncle.
Cardinal
Pompeo Colonna was created cardinal-priest along with thirty other prelates by Pope Leo X in his fifth Consistory for the creation of Cardinals, on 1 July 1517. On 4 November 1517 he was assigned the titulus of the Basilica XII Apostolorum. He then became famous for his banquets and intellectual activities.Immediately after his promotion, he was sent to Germany, where he met the Emperor in Augsburg, and followed his court, inspecting the German cities and learning of their moral state. He spent a good deal of time hunting with him. He returned to Rome and undertook all the activities of a cardinal in the papal court with enthusiasm and competence.
On 7 January 1521, Pope Leo named Cardinal Colonna administrator of the diocese of Potenza in the Kingdom of Naples. He held the diocese until he was deprived of all of his benefices as a result of his attack on Pope Clement VII in 1526. Each of these administratorships was a source of income for its holder, income which would normally have gone to the bishop, with the obligation to see to the transaction of the diocese's business in the Roman Curia. The administrator also enjoyed the right to fill whatever benefices were vacant during his term, normally a privilege of the Bishop; this allowed him to reward his faithful followers and servants at no expense to himself.
In the meantime, on 12 January 1519, the Emperor Maximilian died. In the struggle to elect his successor, Pope Leo supported Francis I of France, which set him at odds with the King. Leo hoped to be able to recover the cities of Parma and Piacenza for the Papal States, which had been seized and garrisoned by King Francis. The result was a four years long war in Italy. One of the French commanders was Pompeo Colonna's childhood friend and cousin, Marcantonio Colonna, and another was Giacomo Zabecario, Pompeio's half-brother, which brought great embarrassment. The two cities had scarcely been recovered for the Church when Pope Leo was stricken during a hunting party at Magliano, some six miles from Rome.