Cristoforo Madruzzo

Cristoforo Madruzzo (5 July 1512 – 5 July 1578) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal and statesman. His brother Eriprando was a mercenary captain who fought in the Italian Wars.

Biography Madruzzo was born on 5 July 1512 at Calavino, into a noble family in Trento. He studied at Padua and Bologna, Being only a subdeacon at the time, he was promoted to the deaconship, priesthood and episcopate in 1542. and shortly afterwards, during the same year, he was raised to the dignity of a cardinal by Pope Paul III. Having resigned his bishopric at Trento in 1567 in favour of his nephew Ludovico, he spent the latter years of his life in Italy, and became Cardinal Bishop successively of Sabina, Palestrina, and Porto.

In addition to his two sees he received in 1546, by the favour of Charles V, a yearly allowance of 2,000 ducats from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

He died in Tivoli, Italy, on 5 July 1578, his 66th birthday.

Council of Trent

As cardinal, Bishop of Trent, and temporal ruler of that principality, he played a prominent part in the Council of Trent. Among other things, he insisted that the reform of the Church should be taken up in earnest, a matter much desired by Charles V, and by which it was hoped to win the Protestants back to the Church. It was largely due to his efforts that this subject was discussed and enactments of that character were passed in each session, together with decisions on doctrinal matters. During the Council, he opposed Cardinal Pacheco and others who wanted to ban all vernacular translations of the Bible. He was also intent upon promoting a truly religious and Christian life among both the people and the ecclesiastics under his jurisdiction. He was himself cultured and learned, and patronized the liberal arts and learning.