Ippolito de' Medici
| Ippolito de' Medici | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Lord of Florence | |
| Reign | 19 November 1523 – 16 May 1527 |
| Predecessor | Giulio de' Medici |
| Successor | Alessandro de' Medici |
| Noble family | Medici |
| Father | Giuliano de' Medici |
| Mother | Pacifica Brandano |
| Born | 1511 Florence, Republic of Florence |
| Died | 10 August 1535 (aged 24) Itri, Kingdom of Naples |
Ippolito de' Medici (1511 – 10 August 1535) was the illegitimate only son of Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici.
Ippolito was born in Urbino. His father died when he was only five (1516), and he was subsequently raised by his uncle Pope Leo X and his cousin Giulio.
When Giulio de' Medici was elected pope as Clement VII in 1523, Ippolito ruled Florence on his behalf (1524–1527). After the siege of Florence (1529–1530), however, Clement favored his illegitimate nephew Alessandro as the family member to take charge of Florence. To assist and succeed him in church affairs Clement VII created his cousin Ippolito a cardinal on 10 January 1529, and on the same day named him first archbishop of Avignon, a position which brought him a considerable income. Since he was only eighteen, he could not be consecrated a bishop or even be the Administrator of the diocese without a papal dispensation. Ippolito was named Cardinal Priest of Santa Prassede, though there is no evidence that he was ever ordained priest or consecrated bishop. His own choice for himself was to be ruler of Florence, not a cleric, and he spent the rest of his life trying to renounce his clerical calling and depose his cousin Alessandro. On 3 May 1529 Cardinal Ippolito was named Papal Legate in Perugia.
On 12 August 1529, Cardinal Ippolito de'Medici was one of the three Cardinal Legates who met the Emperor Charles V at Genoa, with the purpose of conducting him in state to his coronation as Emperor in Bologna. In Bologna he participated in the ceremonies of the coronation.
On 15 February 1530, Pope Clement granted Cardinal Ippolito a ⅓ share in the annual papal income from the town and territory of Clusium for his lifetime.
Ippolito was sent to Hungary in the Spring of 1532 as Papal Legate, departing from Rome on 8 July, according to Pietro Aretino, writing in his diaries. He was in Ratisbon by 12 August. There he demonstrated a talent for soldiering, leading 8000 Hungarian soldiers against the Ottoman Turks, though the Sultan was unwilling to move forward so late in the season, and the Emperor only had sufficient forces for defense, not offence. When the Emperor returned to Italy early in the next year, Cardinal Ippolito followed him.
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