Peter of Aspelt

Peter of Aspelt (aka Peter von Aichspelt, Peter von Basel, Peter von Mainz; born 1240/45, died June 5, 1320 in Mainz) was Archbishop of Mainz from 1306 to 1320, and an influential political figure of the period. He brought the archbishopric to its peak of power.

It is assumed that Peter of Aspelt was born between 1240 and 1245, either in Aspelt, a small village in the County of Luxembourg, about 50 km west of Trier, or in Trier. His father Gerhard worked as a servant at St. Maximin's Abbey in Trier. Peter attended school in Trier, continuing his studies of theology and philosophy, as well as law and medicine, at the universities in Padua, Bologna and Paris. In 1280, he became a pastor in Riol and Birtlingen. In 1286, he obtained the prebend of St. Martin in Bingen am Rhein which was annexed to a canonry of Mainz Cathedral. In the same year, he was appointed chaplain and personal physician to Rudolf of Habsburg, German King of the Romans since 1273. Peter of Aspelt later became an opponent of the Habsburgs on the wider European stage. At that time, the Archbishopric of Mainz had strong ties with the realm of Bohemia. Not only did Bohemia form a part of the ecclesiastical province of Mainz, in addition, Count Siegfried II of Eppstein (1200–30) had received in 1228 the right to crown the King of Bohemia-a right retained by Mainz until 1343. Thus, after being rejected to join the cathedral chapter at the Archbishopric of Trier, Peter entered the service of Wenceslaus II, King of Bohemia, in 1289, serving him as prothonotary, and as chancellor from 1296 onwards. In March 1297, Peter was appointed Bishop of Basel by Pope Boniface VIII. He remained in that position until 1306, when he was made Archbishop of Mainz by Pope Clement V succeeding Gerhard II () of Eppstein (1286–1305) who had died in the previous year. The Archbishop of Mainz not only was an influential ecclesiastic person, as Prince-elector of Mainz and Archchancellor of the Empire, he also was one of the mightiest secular persons in the Holy Roman Empire. Under Peter of Aspelt Mainz attained the pinnacle of its power.

...
Wikipedia