ALBORNOZ, GIL ALVAREZ DE, Spanish cardinal, was born at
Cuenca early in the 14th Century. He was the son of Gil Alvarez
de Albornoz and of Dona Teresa de Luna, sister of Kimeno de
Luna, archbishop of Toledo. He was educated at Saragosa,
while his uncle was bishop of that see, and studied law at
Toulouse. The powerful influence of his family opened him
a public career early in life. He was made archdeacon of
Calatrava, and became a member of the king's council while
young. In 1337 he was chosen archbishop of Toledo in
succession to his uncle by the favour of the king, Alphonso
XI. At the battle of Tarifa he fought against a great invasion
from Africa in 1340, and at the taking of Algeciras in 1344
he led the armed levy of his archbishopric. In 1343 he
had been sent to Pope Clement VI. at Avignon to negotiate
a grant of a tax on the revenues of the Church for the
Crusade. His military and diplomatic ability became known
to the pope, who made him a cardinal in 1350. Albornoz left
Spain on the death of the king Alphonso XI. in that year, and
never returned. It has been said, but not on contemporary
evidence, that he fled from fear of Peter the Cruel. In 1353
Innocent VI. sent him as a legate into Italy, with a view to
the restoration of the papal authority in the states of the
Church. He was recalled in 1357, but was sent again to
Italy after a brief interval, and in 1362 had paved the way
for the return of Urban V. to Rome. As legate, Albornoz
showed himself to be an astute manager of men and effective
fighter. He began by making use of Rienzi, whose release
from prison at Avignon he secured. After the murder of
the tribune in 1354 Albornoz pursued his task of restoring
the pope's authority by intrigue and force with remarkable
success. As a mark of gratitude the pope appointed him
legate at Bologna in 1367, but he died at Viterbo the same
year. According to his own desire his remains were carried
to Toledo, where Henry of Castile caused them to be entombed
with almost royal honours. A work by Albornoz on the
constitution of the Church of Rome, first printed at Jesi in
1473, is now very rare. The college of St Clement at Bologna
was founded by Albornoz for the benefit of Spanish students.
See
"De Vita et Rebus Gestis Aegidii Albornotii," in Sepulveda's
Opera Omnia, vol. iv. (1780)
Cardenal Albornoz der zweite
Begrunder des Kirchenstaates, by Dr H. J. Wurm (1892).
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