Gaspar Cervantes de Gaeta

Gaspar Cervantes de Gaeta (Trujillo, 1511 – Tarragona, 17 October 1575) was a Spanish cardinal of the 16th century. He was a relative of the famous Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes.

Early years

He was born in Trujillo to Francisco de Gaeta and María Alonso de Cervantes. He studied at the Santa Cruz de Cañizares College of the University of Salamanca and at the University of Paris, and later he was appointed councillor and delegate of the Grand Inquisitor of the Kingdom of Aragon.

Early ecclesiastical career

Cervantes was vicar general of the diocese of León, inquisitor and vicar general of the archdiocese of Seville, and inquisitor in Zaragoza and Naples.

Archbishop of Tarragona and cardinal

Being archbishop of Tarragona, he was appointed cardinal-priest of Saint Vitale by Pope Pius V in the consistory of 17 May 1570. On 9 March that year he changed to the titular church of Saint Martino in Montibus, and in 1572 to Santa Balbina.

In 1574, Cervantes got the suppression of the monastery of Escornalbou from Pius V. The money that he got out of it went to the creation of the Seminary of Tarragona, founded in 1575. This seminary is considered the first one in Spain, which later in 1577, it was combined with the University of Tarragona. In 1575 he also founded a novitiate of the Society of Jesus.

He celebrated an ecumenical council from 1572 to 1574. In his will, Cervantes gave thorough details about the administrative regulation and running of the University of Tarragona, which prevented that, years later, the university was abolished by King Philip V of Spain.

Cardinal Cervantes street in Tarragona is named after him.