Francesco Campana

Francesco Campana (after , Colle di Val d'Elsa – September 1546, Florence) was an Italian statesman, layman of the Church of St. Martin in Montughi from 1537 to 1546. He played a significant role during annulment controversy between Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII of England.

Early life and background Francesco Campana was born in Colle di Val d'Elsa toward the end of the 15th century, certainly not before 1491, to a family of non-noble origins. His father, Giovan Battista, was likely a doctor or artisan, while his mother, Caterina Staccini, came from an ancient but impoverished family. He had four siblings - brothers Niccolo and Camillio, as well as sisters Ginevera and Laura.

Under Clement VII On 12 December 1528, Clement VII sent Campana on a delicate mission to the English court to destroy a secret papal bull that annulled Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Henry VIII had requested the annulment, and Cardinal Campeggio had been tasked with examining the issue. The bull granted the divorce but was to be shown only to Henry and Cardinal Wolsey privately. However, the situation shifted after the Siege of Naples in 1528, and the pope, now allied with Emperor Charles V, no longer needed English support. Campana's mission was to destroy the bull, all while pretending his journey was part of a diplomatic effort to resolve the marriage issue.

Campana met Francis I on the road on 1 January 1529. After stopping in Paris, Campana reached the English court on 17 January, where he was received with many honors because he was believed to be there to favorably resolve the divorce issue. He met with Henry VIII and Wolsey, but had a great argument with Henry on 19 May. Eventually, the bull was destroyed, allowing Campana to return to Florence on May 26, 1529.

Under Alessandro de Medici In 1530, Clement VII directed Campana to serve the newly established Duchy of Florentine Republic and assist Alessandro de' Medici, who was destined to become the head of the government. According to Benedetto Varchi, as the Republic's first secretary during Simone Tornabuoni’s gonfalonierate, Campana altered public records to favor Alessandro's rise. On May 1, 1531, he was appointed first chancellor of the Republic, and in July, he read the decree of Charles V, proclaiming Alessandro de' Medici as the head of Florence.

He stayed by Alessandro's side, serving as his trusted advisor and secretary until the duke's demise. Campana played a crucial role in balancing the influence of aristocratic advisors like Matteo Strozzi, Francesco Vettori, and Roberto Acciaiuoli, and significantly shaped all of the new duke's political endeavors. Detailed records from this period are scarce; it is only known that on January 3, 1536, he accompanied the duke to Naples, where Alessandro had to defend himself before Charles V against accusations leveled by Florentine exiles.

Campana enjoyed numerous benefits: in 1535, he received a canonry in the cathedral. He later acquired the parish of Cavriglia in Valdarno, the Church of San Romolo in Florence, the chapel of the Abbey of Dovadola, the priory of Montughi, the parish of Miransù, the Church of Montui, and the priory of Sant'Antonio in Fano. Despite Lastri's belief that Campana had taken ecclesiastical orders due to his work with the pope, it appears certain that he remained a layman throughout his life. was reprinted numerous times. In the preface to the 1540 Milan edition, Campana expressed his intention to write more Virgilian questions, but this project remained unfinished.

He was an active member of the Florentine Academy, even serving as its consul from February 7, 1545. He temporarily hosted the academy in his home before it found a permanent location. In July 1546, just a few months before his death, he gave a public reading as an academic on Petrarch's sonnet: "Amor che nel pensier mio vince et regna." which had been dissolved since 1494. He devoted himself to this task with great zeal in 1543–44, seeking students and distinguished teachers and structuring the university on the model of those in Parma and Pavia. In 1544, he inaugurated the attached college for forty young men with a speech.