Lorenzo Campeggio (7 November 1474 – 19 July 1539) was an Italian cardinal and politician. He was the last cardinal protector of England.

Life

Campeggio was born in Milan to a noble family, the eldest of five sons.

Campeggio initially intended to pursue a career in law, obtaining his degree in 1499. In 1510, following the death of his wife, Campeggio began to serve the Catholic Church.

In 1511 and from 1513 to 1517, Campeggio served as nuncio on two separate occasions to Maximilian I. In 1517, during his second period as nuncio to Maximilian I, Leo X made him a cardinal.

On 22 January 1523, Campeggio was appointed cardinal–protector of England. While in England, Campeggio was tasked with convincing Henry VIII to pledge his support to a planned crusade against Selim I that was envisioned by Leo X. In 1528, Campeggio returned to England in order to hear the case for divorce between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Due to the mental duress and his affliction with gout, this period of time was particularly unpleasant for Campeggio.

Campeggio wrote his De depravato statu ecclesiae for Adrian VI, which proposed radical reforms for the papal bureaucracy.

Further reading

Catholic Church titles
Preceded byAntonio PizzamanoBishop of Feltre 1512–1520Succeeded byTomaso Campeggi
New titleCardinal-Priest of San Tommaso in Parione 1517–1519Succeeded byGirolamo Doria
Preceded byAntoine Bohier du PratCardinal-Priest of Sant'Anastasia 1519–1528Succeeded byAntoine du Prat
Preceded byAchille Grassi (bishop)Bishop of Bologna 1523–1525Succeeded byAndrea della Valle (administrator)
Preceded byEdmund Audley (bishop)Administrator of Salisbury 1524–1534Succeeded byNicholas Shaxton As CofE bishop of Salisbury (unrecognized by Vatican)
Succeeded byHimself As RC administrator of Salisbury (unrecognized by Crown)
Preceded byFrancesco Armellini Pantalassi de' MediciCardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere 1528–1534Succeeded byAntonio Sanseverino
Preceded byDiego de Cabrera (bishop)Administrator of Huesca 1530–1532Succeeded byJerónimo Doria (bishop)
Preceded byGirolamo Campeggi (bishop)Administrator of Poreč (Parenzo) 1533–1537Succeeded byGiovanni Campeggi (bishop)
Preceded byHimself As administrator of Salisbury (recognized by both Crown and Vatican)Administrator of Salisbury (unrecognized by Crown) 1534–1539Succeeded byGasparo Contarini (administrator)
Preceded byGiovanni Landi (archbishop)Administrator of Candia 1534–1536Succeeded byPietro Landi (archbishop)
Preceded byBonifacio FerreroCardinal-Bishop of Albano 1534–1535Succeeded byMatthäus Lang von Wellenburg
Preceded byBonifacio FerreriCardinal-Bishop of Palestrina 1535–1537Succeeded byAntonio Sanseverino
Preceded byBonifacio FerreroCardinal-Bishop of Sabina 1537–1539Succeeded byAntonio Sanseverino