Branda da Castiglione

Branda Castiglione (sometimes: Castiglioni ) (* February 4, 1350 in Castiglione Olona, † February 3, 1443 ) was an Italian humanist, cardinal and papal legate, who was active in many parts of Europe in the first half of the 15th century. He was distinguished by humanistic erudition, eloquence, diplomacy and ecclesiastical zeal for reform; at the same time he distinguished himself as a friend and patron of science and art.

Life and work

He studied in Pavia civil and canon law and completed his studies with a doctorate of Laws from. His religious development was influenced by the Bohemian Modern Devotion, leading representatives of this reform direction than in the nineties came to Italy; Here he learned probably thought the reform preacher Conrad of Waldhausen (1325-1369) know. Since 1389 he came on a diplomatic mission on behalf of Gian Galeazzo Visconti with the Pope in contact. In 1404 he became bishop of Piacenza, in 1412 Bishop and Count of Veszprém ( Weissenbrunn / Hungary). Since 1411, Cardinal Priest of San Clemente, he was papal legate in Hungary (since 1410) and in Germania (from 1413 ). In the wake of King Sigismund he traveled extensively in Germany, Hungary and Poland. He also took part in the Councils of Pisa ( 1409 ), Constance ( 1414-1418 ) and Basel ( 1431-1445 ) part. It was him again and again to the unity of Christendom, both in terms of the papal schism and to the Eastern Church. He was the driving force behind the Crusades against the Hussites and appointed Nicholas of Dinkelsbühl 1421 the official Hussite Crusade Full spreader. Appointed in 1421 to the reformer generalis for the whole of Germany, he sought a reform of the clergy and the religious life. He designed reform statutes, could be the basis for the church and monastery reforms (as they were then realized about the Pillenreuth monastery).

At the age of about 70 years he started in 1423 with a construction activity in his hometown of Castiglione, which he heranzog major artists. Castiglione is still marked it. At the same time he was committed to education and social promotion through the establishment of the Collegio Branda at the University of Pavia and by the establishment of schools and arms aids in his hometown. Cardinal Branda died in 1443 at an old age of 93 years.