Francesco Alidosi

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Francesco Alidosi (1455–24 May 1511) was an Italian cardinal, diplomat and military leader who became a close friend and trusted adviser of Pope Julius II. He was known for helping Michelangelo improve his relations with the pope and for his energetic, sometimes ruthless, political work.

He traveled to France in 1494 with Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere (the future Julius II) and stayed in favor after Della Rovere became pope. He rose to become the pope’s secretary and chief collaborator, later serving as papal chamberlain and treasurer. In 1505 he was made cardinal-priest of Santi Nereo e Achilleo, and in 1506 he chose the title of Santa Cecilia. He acted as an intermediary for artistic projects and, in 1506, helped authorize the Sistine Chapel ceiling contract.

Alidosi held various important roles, including Cardinal protector of England and protector of Erasmus, and Julius II trusted him as a capable, bustling collaborator in his political plans. In Bologna in 1508, his actions against Bentivoglio supporters led to heavy executions and great resentment among the Bolognese. In early 1509 he became legate in Romagna and Marche, took Ravenna, and went to France as an envoy; the French king even named him bishop of Cremona, though this was not approved by the pope.

In 1510 Julius II recalled him to Rome amid tensions with Bologna and Venice. The pope later returned the Bologna legation to Alidosi, which angered many in Bologna. That October the Duke of Urbino, Francesco Maria della Rovere, briefly captured Alidosi, but the pope freed him and restored his position. He was named apostolic administrator of Bologna in October 1510.

In May 1511 the pope moved his residence for safety to Ravenna. On 20 May Alidosi escaped from Castel del Rio with valuables, and Bologna fell to the Bentivoglio on 23 May. The pope blamed the Duke of Urbino for treason. In Ravenna, Alidosi was killed on 24 May 1511 during a meeting with the pope after a confrontation with a member of the duke’s retinue. His death was marked by solemn exequies, and his skull later became a notable relic at San Vitale.

Alidosi’s enemies accused him of improper private life; notable critic Pietro Bembo called him corrupt. He is depicted as a character in the 2011 TV series Borgia.