Pope Urban VIII

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Urban VIII
)
Fabio Blondus de Montealto
Created cardinal11 September 1606
by Paul V
Personal details
Born
Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini

5 April 1568
Died29 July 1644(1644-07-29) (aged 76)
Rome, Papal States
ParentsAntonio Barberini & Camilla Barbadoro
Previous post(s)
  • Referendary of the Apostolic Signatura (1589–1592)
  • Governor of Fano (1592–1604)
  • Titular Archbishop of Nazareth
    (1604–1608)
  • Apostolic Nuncio to France
    (1604–1606)
  • Cardinal-Priest of San Montorio
    (1607–1610)
  • Bishop of Spoleto
    (1608–1617)
  • Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura (1610–1623)
  • Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Onofrio
    (1610–1623)
  • Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church (1623)
Coat of armsUrban VIII's coat of arms
Other popes named Urban

Pope Urban VIII (

Latin: Urbanus VIII; Italian: Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death, in July 1644. As pope
, he expanded the papal territory by force of arms and advantageous politicking, and was also a prominent patron of the arts and a reformer of Church missions.

However, the massive debts incurred during his pontificate greatly weakened his successors, who were unable to maintain the papacy's longstanding political and military influence in Europe. He was also an opponent of Copernicanism and involved in the Galileo affair. He is the last pope to date to take the pontifical name "Urban".

Biography

Early life

Caravaggio
.

Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini was born in April 1568, the son of Antonio

Society of Jesus ("Jesuits"), and received a doctorate of law from the University of Pisa
in 1589.

In 1601, Barberini, through the influence of his uncle, was able to secure from

Archbishop of Nazareth,[2] an office joined with that of Bishop of the suppressed Dioceses of Canne and Monteverde, with his residence at Barletta. At the death of his uncle, he inherited his riches, with which he bought a palace in Rome, which he made into a luxurious Renaissance residence
.

Papacy

Gold quadrupla coin of Pope Urban VIII, struck at the Avignon mint, dated 1629
Papal styles of
Pope Urban VIII
Reference style
His Holiness
Spoken styleYour Holiness
Religious styleHoly Father
Posthumous styleNone

Papal election

Barberini was considered someone who could be elected as pope, though there were those such as Cardinal Ottavio Bandini who worked to prevent it. Despite this, throughout 29–30 July, the cardinals began an intense series of negotiations to test the numbers as to who could emerge from the conclave as pope, with Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi dismissing Barberini's chances as long as Barberini remained a close ally of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, whose faction Barberini supported. Ludovisi had discussions with Cardinals Odoardo Farnese, Carlo de' Medici and Ippolito Aldobrandini on 30 July about seeing to Barberini's election. The three supported his candidacy and went about securing the support of others, which led to Barberini's election just over a week later.[4] On 6 August 1623, at the papal conclave following the death of Pope Gregory XV, Barberini was chosen as Gregory XV's successor and took the name Urban VIII. His coronation had to be postponed until 29 September 1623 since the new pontiff was ill at the time of his election.

Upon Pope Urban VIII's election, Zeno, the Venetian envoy, wrote the following description of him:[5]

The new Pontiff is 56 years old. His Holiness is tall, dark, with regular features and black hair turning grey. He is exceptionally elegant and refined in all details of his dress; has a graceful and aristocratic bearing and exquisite taste. He is an excellent speaker and debater, writes verses and patronises poets and men of letters.

Activities

Engraving of Pope Urban VIII

Urban VIII's papacy covered 21 years of the Thirty Years' War, (1618-1648) and was an eventful one, even by the standards of the day.

Despite an early friendship and encouragement for his teachings, Urban VIII was responsible for summoning the scientist and astronomer Galileo to Rome in 1633 to recant his work. Urban VIII was opposed to Copernican heliocentrism and he ordered Galileo's second trial after the publication of Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, in which Urban's point of view is argued by the character "Simplicio".

Urban VIII practiced

scudi in personal wealth.[7]

Urban VIII was a skilled writer of Latin verse, and a collection of scriptural paraphrases as well as original hymns of his composition have been frequently reprinted.

The 1638 papal bull Commissum Nobis protected the existence of

Jesuit Reductions.[8][9] At the same time, Urban VIII repealed the Jesuit monopoly on missionary work in China and Japan, opening these countries to missionaries of other orders and missionary societies.[10]

In response to complaints in the

Diocese of Seville, Urban VIII issued the letter Cum Ecclesiae, dated 30 January 1642, that made use of tobacco in holy places punishable by excommunication.[11] While often described as a papal bull, the document was not filed as such and was more than likely an encyclical; Pope Benedict XIII eventually abrogated the tobacco ban, preferring other methods to ensuring the cleanliness of church facilities.[12]

Canonizations and beatifications

Urban VIII canonized five saints during his pontificate:

(also a Jesuit), who had been canonized by his predecessor, Pope Gregory XV.

Canonical coronation

The icon of the La Madonna della Febbre which was crowned in 1631 making it as the first Marian image to receive a pontifical coronation.

Pope Urban VIII is also known as the first pope who granted a canonical coronation towards a Marian icon. The first icon that was crowned was the La Madonna della Febbre which is enshrined at the sacristy of St. Peter's Basilica. The coronation took place on 1631 making it as the first coronation in the world.

Consistories

Portrait of Urban VIII by Pietro da Cortona, c. 1624–7

The pope created 74 cardinals in eight consistories throughout his pontificate, and this included his nephews Francesco and Antonio, cousin Lorenzo Magalotti, and the pope's own brother Antonio Marcello. He also created Giovanni Battista Pamphili as a cardinal, with Pamphili becoming his immediate successor, Pope Innocent X. The pope also created eight of those cardinals whom he had reserved in pectore.

Policy on private revelation

In the papal bull Sanctissimus Dominus Noster of 13 March 1625, Urban instructed Catholics not to venerate the deceased or represent them in the manner of saints without Church sanction. It required a bishop's approval for the publication of private revelations. Since the nineteenth century, it has become common for books of popular devotion to carry a disclaimer. One read in part: "In obedience to the decrees of Urban the Eighth, I declare that I have no intention of attributing any other than a purely human authority to the miracles, revelations, favours, and particular cases recorded in this book..."[13][14][15]

Politics

Urban VIII's military involvement was aimed less at the restoration of

Habsburgs. He also launched the Wars of Castro in 1641 against Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, whom he excommunicated. Castro was destroyed and its duchy
incorporated into the Papal States.

Urban VIII was the last pope to extend the Papal territory. He fortified

Tivoli and fortified the harbour of Civitavecchia
.

For the purposes of making cannon and the baldacchino in St Peter's, massive bronze girders were pillaged from the portico of the Pantheon leading to the well known lampoon: quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt Barberini, "what the barbarians did not do, the Barberini did."[10]

Patron of the arts

Urban VIII expended vast sums bringing polymaths like

St Peter's Basilica and other prominent structures in the city. Numerous members of Barberini's family also had their likeness caught in stone by Bernini, such as his brothers Carlo and Antonio. Urban also had rebuilt the Church of Santa Bibiana and the Church of San Sebastiano al Palatino on the Palatine Hill
.

The Barberini patronised painters such as

on the ceiling of the large salon of the Palazzo Barberini.

The Barberini Vase, now renamed the Portland Vase

Another such acquisition, in a vast collection, was the purchase of the 'Barberini vase'. This was allegedly found at the mausoleum of the Roman Emperor Severus Alexander and his family at Monte Del Grano. The discovery of the vase is described by Pietro Santi Bartoli and referenced on page 28 of a book on The Portland Vase.[17] Pietro Bartoli indicates that the vase contained the ashes of the Roman Emperor. However, this together with the interpretations of the scenes depicted on it are the source of countless theories and disputed 'facts'. The vase remained in the Barberini family collection for some 150 years before passing through the hands of Sir William Hamilton Ambassador to the Royal Court in Naples. It was later sold to the Duke of Portland, and has subsequently been known as the Portland Vase. Following catastrophic damage, this glass vase (1-25BC) has been reconstructed three times and resides in the British Museum. The Portland vase itself was borrowed and near copied by Josiah Wedgwood who appears to have added modesty drapery. The vase formed the basis of Jasperware.

Later life

Palazzo dei Conservatori in Rome

A consequence of these military and artistic endeavours was a massive increase in papal debt. Urban VIII inherited a debt of 16 million scudi, and by 1635 had increased it to 28 million.

According to contemporary

Castel Gandolfo to rest, the members of the Spanish faction met in secret and discussed ways to advance their plan. But they were discovered and the pope raced back to Rome where he immediately held a consistory and demanded to know who the new pope was. To put an end to the conspiracy, the pope decreed that all Cardinal-Bishops should leave Rome and return to their own churches.[18]

With the Spanish plan having failed, by 1640 the debt had reached 35 million scudi, consuming more than 80% of annual papal income in interest repayments.[19]

Death and legacy

Bust by Giovanni Gonnelli
Constitutio contra astrologos iudiciarios, 1631

Urban VIII's death on 29 July 1644 is said to have been hastened by chagrin at the result of the Wars of Castro. Because of the costs incurred by the city of Rome to finance this war, Urban VIII became immensely unpopular with his subjects.

On his death, the bust of Urban VIII that lay beside the

Palace of the Conservators on the Capitoline Hill was rapidly destroyed by an enraged crowd, and only a quick-thinking priest saved the sculpture of the late pope belonging to the Jesuits from a similar fate.[20]

Following his death, international and domestic machinations resulted in the papal conclave not electing Cardinal

papal conclave of 1644
.

Portrayals in fiction

Urban VIII is a recurring character in the

Monteverdi
.

See also

References

  1. ^ Barton 1964, p. 115.
  2. ^ a b c Ott 1912.
  3. ^ Keyvanian 2005, p. 294.
  4. ^ "Sede Vacante 1623". 27 September 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  5. ^ Pirie, Valérie (1935). The Triple Crown: An Account of the Papal Conclaves from the Fifteenth Century to the Present Day. p. 159.
  6. ^ "Urban Viii - Barberini and Rome". Archived from the original on 2013-07-21. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
  7. ^ History of the popes; their church and state (Volume III) by Leopold von Ranke (Wellesley College Library, reprint; 2009)
  8. ^ Mooney 1910.
  9. ^ Joel S. Panzer, The Popes and Slavery, Staten Island, New York, Society of St. Paul, 1996, pp.89-91.
  10. ^ a b van Helden, Al (1995). "The Galileo Project". Rice University. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
  11. ^ Buescher 2017.
  12. ^ The Popes and Tobacco 1910, pp. 612–613.
  13. . Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  14. .
  15. .
  16. ^ Collins 2009, p. 382.
  17. OCLC 54960357
    .
  18. ^ a b Pope Alexander the Seventh and the College of Cardinals by John Bargrave, edited by James Craigie Robertson (reprint; 2009)
  19. .
  20. ^ Ernesta Chinazzi, Sede Vacante per la morte del Papa Urbano VIII Barberini e conclave di Innocenzo X Pamfili, Rome, 1904, 13.

Sources

Works

External links

  • Italian Academies Themed Collection—British Library. Includes information about Barbernini's membership of Italian academies, and of his links with other intellectuals of his time
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Pope
6 August 1623 – 29 July 1644
Succeeded by