Alessandro Cesarini
Coat of arms of Cardinal Alessandro Cesarini.

Alessandro Cesarini (died 13 February 1542), bishop of Pistoia, was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.

Life

Born in Rome, the son of Agabito Cesarini, he became close to the Medici family, particularly Cardinal Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, the future Pope Leo X. He was made cardinal deacon on 1 July 1517 and received the deaconry of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus, opting for the deaconry of Santa Maria in Via Lata in 1523. He became known for his patronage of writers and artists.

He served as apostolic administrator of Pamplona, Spain from 1520 to 1538; that of Alessano, Italy from 1526 to 1531; that of Otranto, Italy from 1526 to 1536; that of Gerace, Italy from 1536 to 1538; that of Catanzaro, Italy briefly in 1536; that of Oppido Mamertina, Italy from 1536 to 1538 (resigning in favor of his natural son, Ascanio Cesarini, who succeeded him in that see from 1538 to 1542); that of Jaën from 6 July 1537 to 14 June 1538; and that of Cuenca, Spain from 1538 to his death.

In the sack of Rome by mutinous troops of Charles V in 1527, he was one of the cardinals held hostage.

He participated in the conclave of 1521–1522, which elected Adrian VI; of 1523, which elected Clement VII; and of 1534, which elected Paul III.

He became cardinal bishop and chose the suburbicarian see of Albano, Italy in 1540.

He was appointed bishop of Palestrina, Italy in 1541, in which office he died on 13 February 1542 in Rome. He was buried in his family's tomb in the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli in Rome.

Catholic Church titles
Preceded byGiovanni Stefano FerreroCardinal-Deacon of Santi Sergio e Bacco 1517–1523Succeeded byOdet de Coligny de Châtillon
Preceded byFrancesco Armellini Pantalassi de' MediciAdministrator of Gerace (1st time) 1519Succeeded byGirolamo Planca
Preceded byAmanieu d'AlbretAdministrator of Pamplona 1520–1538Succeeded byJuan Reina
Preceded byMarco CornaroCardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria in Via Lata 1523–1540Succeeded byNiccolò Ridolfi
Preceded byFabrizio Di CapuaAdministrator of Otranto 1526–1536Succeeded byPietro Antonio Di Capua
Preceded byAgostino TrivulzioAdministrator of Alessano 1526–1531Succeeded byFrancesco Antonio Balduini
Preceded byGirolamo PlancaAdministrator of Gerace (2nd time) 1534–1538Succeeded byTiberio Muti
Preceded byAngelo Geraldini d'AmeliaAdministrator of Catanzaro 1536Succeeded bySforza Geraldini d'Amelia
Preceded byPietro Andrea RipantiAdministrator of Oppido Mamertina 1536–1538Succeeded byAscanio Cesarini
Preceded byDiego Ramírez de Villaescua de HaroAdministrator of Cuenca 1538–1542Succeeded bySebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal
Preceded byMatthäus Lang von WellenburgCardinal-Bishop of Albano 1540–1541Succeeded byFrancesco Cornaro
Preceded byGianvincenzo CarafaCardinal-Bishop of Palestrina 1541–1542Succeeded byFrancesco Cornaro