Girolamo Verallo

Girolamo Verallo (1497–1555) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal and papal diplomat.

Biography

Girolamo Verallo was born in Cori, Lazio in 1497, the son of Girolamo Veralli, a Roman physician, and Giulia Jacovazzi. His father was personal physician to Pope Paul III.

He was the nephew of Cardinal Domenico Giacobazzi. After studying law, he traveled to Rome, he served a governor of Velletri and then became referenda of the Apostolic Signatura. On 26 November 1534 he became an auditor of the Roman Rota. He also became an auditor of the Apostolic Palace. With Latino Giovenale Manetti, he was sent as part of a diplomatic mission in 1535 to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and Francis I of France concerning ownership of the Camerino following the death of Giovanni Maria Varano, the last Duke of Camerino. From 1537 to February 1540, he was nuncio to the Republic of Venice. He was a protector of Ignatius of Loyola and the first Jesuits. In 1536, Ignatius and his first companions were in Venice and made a vow of poverty and chastity in the hands of the nuncio. Discussions broke down due to France's excessive claims.

On 18 September 1551 Pope Julius III gave him the Palace of Sant'Apollinare alle Terme Neroniane-Alessandrine (though not the church property) ad vitam. From 1552 to 1553, he was Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura and a member of the Roman Inquisition. He opted for the titular church of San Marcello al Corso on 29 November 1553.

He died in Rome on 10 October 1555 and was buried in the Basilica di Sant'Agostino.