Filippo Spinola

Filippo Spinola(1 December 1535 – 20 August 1593) was anItalianCatholicbishopandcardinal.

Filippo Spinola, Epitaph, BasilicaSanta Sabina,Rome

Biography

A member of theSpinola family,Filippo Spinola was born inGenoaon 1 December 1535, the son of Agostino Spinola,countofTassarolo,and GironimaAlbenga.

After serving the government ofGenoaas a young man, Spinola moved toRome,wasordainedas asubdeacon,and became aReferendaryof theApostolic Signatura.He later became adomestic prelate of His Holiness.

On 8 February 1566 he was electedBishop of Bisignano.He wasconsecratedas a bishop in the Pauline chapel of theApostolic Palaceby Cardinal Giambattista Cicada on 16 February 1566.On 9 March 1569 he was transferred to thesee of Nola.

Pope Gregory XIIImade him acardinal priestin theconsistoryof 12 December 1583.He received thered hatand thetitular churchofSanta Sabinaon 20 February 1584.

He participated in thepapal conclave of 1585that electedPope Sixtus V.The new pope named him administrator of thesee of Sora.On 13 May 1585 he was namedpapal legateinPerugiaandUmbria;he held this legation a second time in 1591.He was also legate in theDuchy of Spoleto.He was alsoPrefectof theSacred Congregationof Regulars, and Prefect of the pontificalgalleys.

He participated in thefirst papal conclave of 1590that electedPope Urban VII;thesecond papal conclave of 1590that electedPope Gregory XIV;thepapal conclave of 1591that electedPope Innocent IX;and thepapal conclave of 1592that electedPope Clement VIII.He was a member of the cardinalate commission forGermanyand theKingdom of Hungary.When CardinalLudovico Madruzzowas not inRome,Spinola served ascardinal protectorfor theHoly Roman Empire.

He died in Rome on 20 August 1593 and was buried in his titular church of Santa Sabina.His remains were later transferred to Genoa.