ARCELLA (Fabio, Bishop of Bisignano, Deputy to the Papal Governor of Bologna)

Document signed by his secretary Leo de Magistris, in Latin with English summary, in a fine clear script, allowing Giovanni Battista CASTELLI , (d. 1583), to hold united the parish of St. Bartolomeo della Beveraria, worth not more than 6 gold ducats p.a., free by the resignation of Dionisio Castelli, with the parish of St. Nicholas and St. Agata at Zola Predosa (8 miles west of Bologna), during the life of the applicant, and referring to the Constitutions of Boniface VIII (Pope, 1294-1303) on unions of this kind, vellum, 12½" x 21½", Bologna, 4th August lacks seal, with a few small holes just touching a few letters

Count Giovanni Battista CASTELLI, probably an illegitimate son of the family settled at Bologna since the 12th century, was a Canon of Bologna 1540-1575, when he gave up his preferments having been made Bishop of Rimini.
Castelli took his doctorate in 1546 and taught civil law at the University till May 1551, when he attended the Council of Trent in the suite of Cardinal Marcello Crescenzi. Many of the Commissions applied to him for advice and draughting, for example concerning the safe conducts for the Protestant delegates, and the eternal question of referring matters direct to the Pope (which he strongly supported) instead of to the local superior.
In the spring of 1563 he was at the resumed council at Innsbruck.
In 1566 he was 'poached' by Cardinal Borromeo to Milan, as Vicar-General, to help with his Tridentine reforms. Castelli's bishop, Gabriele Paleotti, was reluctant to let him go, as being his right hand man in similar work, and pointed out that his preferments at Bologna included the cure of 600 souls.
On 29th March 1574 Castelli became Bishop of Rimini, and made minute pastoral visitations in Borromeo's manner. There followed appointments as Papal visitor to dioceses in Tuscany and the Northern Papal states, again to enforce the Tridentine decrees. He seems to have shared the outlook of Pius V - an intense desire for pastoral work, coupled with undue severity - and in fact was recalled from Tuscany in 1576 after the clergy had complained to the Pope about the 'earthquake' he had caused.
In 1580 Castelli was appointed Nuncio (ambassador) to France. He worked to avoid the suggested marriage of the Duke of Anjou - the 'little frog' - to Elizabeth I, which would have made her Queen of France on the death of Henri III. But his biggest struggle was with the French Parliament and the Protestant party, who had approved the strongly 'gallican' Ordinances of Blois (1579) in opposition to many provisions of the Council of Trent. Castelli, more a diocesan bishop than an ambassador, fell ill from exhaustion, and died at the Hôtel de Sens on 27th August 1583.

Item Date:  1538

Stock No:  21901      £325

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