44 Facts About Pompeo Colonna

Pompeo Colonna was an Italian noble, condottiero, politician, and cardinal.

Pompeo Colonna's family belonged to the highest rank of nobility both of the City of Rome and of the Kingdom of Naples.

Pompeo Colonna played a significant, if sometimes disruptive, role in the Conclaves of 1521 and 1523 on behalf of the Imperial interest.

Young Pompeo was given a rigorous upbringing at Monte Compatrum in the Tusculan hills east of Frascati, under the watchful eyes of his uncles Prospero and Cardinal Giovanni Colonna.

In 1498, as a young man of eighteen, Pompeo Colonna fought alongside his uncle Prospero, Lord of Genazzano and Nemi, Duke of Traetto, Count of Fondi, against the traditional family enemies, the Orsini.

Pompeo Colonna's uncle took Pompeo to Naples after the Orsini affair was settled, and introduced the young man to King Federigo I, whose fast friend he quickly became.

Pompeo Colonna later fought on behalf of the Spanish in several campaigns in 1503, culminating in the Battle of Garigliano, in which Piero de' Medici, the elder brother of Giovanni de' Medici was killed.

In 1520, just before his resignation, Cardinal Pompeo Colonna increased the number of Canons in the Cathedral of Rieti from twenty-eight to forty.

When Bishop Scipio Colonna resigned in 1528, Pompeo Colonna again became Bishop of Rieti, until he resigned in the next year in favor of his own secretary, Mario Aligeri.

Pompeo Colonna was abbot of Subiaco and Grottaferrata, again in succession to Giovanni Colonna; he was succeeded in 1513 by his nephew Scipione Colonna.

Paolo Giovio points out that Pompeo Colonna was indignant because in the most recent Consistory for the creation of Cardinals, there was no Roman among the eight creations.

Pompeo Colonna fled to his Abbey of Subiaco, while several of his fellow conspirators fled to France.

Pompeo Colonna was offered a pardon by Julius II, but he refused it, since the pardon did not include reinstatement as Bishop of Rieti.

Pompeo Colonna was so angry that he even threatened to join the French, who had seized Bologna earlier in the year, but his uncle Prospero firmly dissuaded him from such wild designs.

Immediately after the Election Leo X received Pompeo Colonna and allowed him to kiss his foot.

Bishop Pompeo Colonna made the journey to France to effect his release.

Pompeo Colonna was then recalled to Rome by his uncle.

Pompeo Colonna then became famous for his banquets and intellectual activities.

Pompeo Colonna spent a good deal of time hunting with him.

Pompeo Colonna returned to Rome and undertook all the activities of a cardinal in the papal court with enthusiasm and competence.

Pompeo Colonna held the diocese until he was deprived of all of his benefices as a result of his attack on Pope Clement VII in 1526.

Cardinal Prospero Pompeo Colonna was one of thirty-nine cardinals who participated in the deliberations.

Pompeo Colonna had reigned for one year, eight months, and six days.

The Emperor Charles expressed his approval of Cardinal Pompeo Colonna, who was a personal friend, and then of Cardinal de' Medici.

Pompeo Colonna therefore turned his attention to frustrating Cardinal de' Medici's ambitions and to promoting an Imperial candidate.

Rather than see an Orsini made Pope, and aware that he himself could not produce a 'virtual veto' against him, Cardinal Pompeo Colonna decided that Medici was the lesser of two evils, and that he would have to vote for him.

Pompeo Colonna had his twenty-six votes, which quickly became unanimous.

Pompeo Colonna's support was a puzzle for many outsiders, until he was named Vice-Chancellor, the office just vacated by the new Pope, and acquired the Medici palazzo in Rome.

In 1526, Cardinal Pompeo Colonna became directly involved with European politics again.

Pompeo Colonna was so informed by the Spanish, and he replied that he did not think he could come to Rome in safety, but if the Spanish ambassadors' interests required it, he would come and risk the Pope's wrath.

Pompeo Colonna's instructions were to either get the Pope to agree to an alliance with the Empire instead of the League of Cognac, or else to set in motion a scheme of Pompeo Colonna to reduce the Pope to obedience by means of a revolution in Rome, which would detach Siena and Florence from his control.

Pompeo Colonna had seen the proposed Spanish articles of capitulation, which he did not deem to be damaging to Francis' position.

The Pope kept none of his promises, claiming that they had been extracted by threats and force, and the Pompeo Colonna, who wanted to capture the Pope, were angry with Moncada for allowing the opportunity to slip away.

Cardinal Pompeo Colonna retired to his monastery at Grottaferrata, and then made for Naples.

Pompeo Colonna raised a small army with the help of the Orsini and their allies, and planned an expedition against Naples.

Pompeo Colonna's army was placed under the command of Duke Charles de Bourbon, who was engaged in the siege of Milan.

One report has it that Cardinal Pompeo Colonna's palazzo was sacked.

Cardinal Pompeo Colonna played a visible role in the Sack of Rome, with a group of mercenaries and peasants from the Pompeo Colonna fiefs in Lazio and elsewhere, ultimately amounting to more than 8,000 men.

Cardinal Pompeo Colonna took up residence in the Cancelleria Palace, which had been his when he was Vice-Chancellor.

Pompeo Colonna sheltered more than 500 nuns, crowded in a single room.

Pompeo Colonna's most famous work is De laudibus mulierum, written for his relative Vittoria Colonna, who was a poet.

Pompeo Colonna summoned a public meeting at S Lorenzo in Naples, explained the Emperor's requirements to the barons of the Kingdom of Naples, and managed to extract some 600,000 ducats from them, the payment of which was to be spread over four years.

Pompeo Colonna's doctors complained that he always drank his wine iced with snow from the mountains of Samnium, and that he was addicted to figs.

Pompeo Colonna was buried in the Church of S Anna of Monte Oliveto.