Giovanni Battista Mellini

Giovanni Battista Mellini (9 June, 1405 – 24 July, 1478) (called the Cardinal of Urbino) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal.

Biography

Giovanni Battista Mellini was born in Rome on 9 June 1405, the son of a noble family.^[1] He received funds from Pope Martin V to study law.^[1]

When he was seven years old, Antipope John XXIII made him a canon of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran.^[1] He resigned this canonry during the pontificate of Pope Nicholas V, who made him economous of St. Peter's Basilica.^[1] He served as Abbreviatore de parco maggiore under Pope Eugene IV; as corrector of papal letters under Pope Pius II; and as papal datary under Pope Paul II.^[1]

On 27 April 1468 he was elected Bishop of Urbino.^[1] He subsequently held this see until his death.^[1]

In the consistory of 16 December 1476, Pope Sixtus IV made him a cardinal priest.^[1] He received the red hat and the titular church of Santi Nereo e Achilleo on 30 December 1476.^[1]

On 1 January 1477 the pope named him papal legate in the Duchy of Milan and Lombardy, with full powers to keep following the 26 December 1476 death of Galeazzo Maria Sforza.^[1] Cardinal Mellini left for this legation on 27 January 1477 and returned to Rome on 9 May.^[1]

He died in Rome on 24 July 1478.^[1] He was buried in St Peter's Basilica but his tomb was later transferred to the Mellini family chapel in Santa Maria del Popolo.^[1]

References