Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Toledo Primate of Spain | |
 Portrait byEugenio Cajés, 1604 | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| Archdiocese | Toledo |
| Province | Toledo |
| Appointed | 1495 |
| Term ended | 1517 |
| Predecessor | Pedro González de Mendoza |
| Successor | William de Croÿ |
| Orders | |
| Created cardinal | May 1507 byPope Julius II |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gonzalo Jiménez de Cisneros 1436 |
| Died | November 8, 1517(1517-11-08) (aged 80–81) |
| Buried | Alcalá de Henares Cathedral |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Alma mater | University of Salamanca |
| Signature |  |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Governor of the Kingdom of Castile | |
| In office 23 January 1516 – 8 November 1517 | |
| Monarch | Joanna I |
| Preceded by | Ferdinand II of Aragon |
| Succeeded by | Charles I |
Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros,[Note 1]OFM (1436 – 8 November 1517) was a Spanishcardinal, religious figure, andstatesman. Starting from humble beginnings he rose to the heights of power, becoming a religious reformer, twiceregent of Spain, Cardinal,Grand Inquisitor, promoter of theCrusades in North Africa, and founder of the Alcalá University. Among his intellectual accomplishments during theRenaissance in Spain, he is best known for funding theComplutensian Polyglot Bible, the firstpolyglot version of the entireBible, which was mass produced usingJohannes Gutenberg'sprinting press. He also edited and published the first printed editions of themissal (in 1500) and thebreviary (in 1502) of theMozarabic Rite, and established a chapel with a college of thirteen priests to celebrate the MozarabicLiturgy of the Hours andEucharist each day in theToledo Cathedral.
Cardinal Cisneros' life coincided with, and greatly influenced, a dynamic period in thehistory of Spain during the reign ofFerdinand II of Aragon andIsabella I of Castile. During this time Spain underwent many significant changes, leading it into its prominent role in theSpanish Golden Age (1500–1700). Modern historianJohn Elliott said as far as any particular policies that can be attributed to Spain's rise, they were those of King Ferdinand and Cardinal Cisneros.[1]
He was bornGonzalo Jiménez de Cisneros inTorrelaguna inCastile in 1436, the son ofhidalgos Alfonso Jiménez de Cisneros and wife María de la Torre, from the villa of Cisneros,Palencia.[2] He studied in theStudium generale atAlcalá de Henares and also in theUniversity of Salamanca, where in 1456 he obtained a bachelor's degree in law. In 1459 he traveled to Rome to work as aconsistorial advocate, where he attracted the notice ofPope Pius II. He returned to Spain in 1465 carrying an "executive" letter from thePope giving him possession of the first vacantbenefice. That turned out to beUceda. However,Alfonso Carrillo de Acuña, theArchbishop of Toledo andPrimate of Spain, refused to accept the letter, wishing instead to bestow the benefice upon one of his own followers. When Cisneros insisted, he was thrown in prison, first at Uceda and afterwards in the fortress ofSantorcaz.[3] For six years, Cisneros held out for his claim, free to leave at any time if he would give it up, but at length in 1480 Carrillo relented at Cisneros' strength of conviction and gave him a benefice. Fearing further reprisals, Cisneros traded it almost at once for achaplaincy atSigüenza, under CardinalPedro González de Mendoza, thebishop of Sigüenza, who shortly after appointed himvicar general of hisdiocese.[4]
At Sigüenza, Cisneros won praise for his work and he seemed to be on the sure road to success among the secular clergy, when in 1484 at the late age of forty-eight he abruptly decided to become aFranciscanfriar. Giving up all his worldly belongings, and changing his baptismal name, Gonzalo, for that of Francisco, he entered the Franciscan friary ofSan Juan de los Reyes,[2] recently founded byFerdinand II of Aragon andIsabella I of Castile atToledo. Not content with the normal lack of comforts for a friar, he voluntarily slept on the bare ground, wore acilice, doubled his fasts, and generally denied himself with enthusiasm; indeed throughout his whole life, even when at the height of power, his private life was rigorouslyascetic.[4]
He retired to the isolated friary ofOur Lady ofCastañar and built a rough hut in the neighboring woods, in which he lived at times as ananchorite, and later became guardian of a friary at Salzeda.[3] Meanwhile, Mendoza (now Archbishop of Toledo) had not forgotten him, and in 1492 recommended him to Isabella as herconfessor. Jiménez accepted the position on condition that he might still live in his community and follow the religious life, only appearing at court when sent for. The post was politically important, for Isabella took counsel from her confessor not only in religious affairs but also matters of state. Isabella'sAlhambra Decree, which expelled theJews from Spain, followed almost immediately upon Cisneros' appointment as her confessor.[5] Cisneros' severe sanctity soon won him considerable influence over Isabella, and in 1494 he was appointedMinister Provincial of the order for Spain.[4]
Cardinal Mendoza died in 1495, and Isabella had secretly procured apapal bull nominating Cisneros to Mendoza'sArchdiocese of Toledo, the richest and most powerful in Spain.[4] With this office was also given the office of chancellor ofCastile. Isabella tried to surprise him by presenting the bull as a gift in person, but Cisneros did not react as she had hoped. Instead, he fled her presence, and ran away, only to be overtaken by Isabella's messengers several miles outside of Madrid and convinced to return to court for further discussion. Cisneros resisted the appointment for six months and reluctantly agreed only after a second papal bull ordered him to accept.[6] Despite his lavish new position, Cisneros personally still maintained a simple life; although a message from Rome required him to live in a style befitting his rank, the outward pomp only concealed his private asceticism.[4]
_Cardenal_Cisneros._Hospital_de_la_Caridad_de_Illescas.jpg)
From his new position Cisneros set about reforming the Franciscan order in Spain. Theordained friars had to become celibate, giving up the practice ofconcubinage. They had to reside in theparish where they were supposed to work, attendconfession, and preach every Sunday. There was intense opposition. By 1498 the reforms were expanded to include not only Franciscans but other mendicant orders as well.[2] TheMinister General of the order himself came from Rome to attempt to temper the archbishop's strict reforms, but Cisneros, backed by the influence of a strong Queen, managed to impose them.
In 1499 Cisneros accompanied the court of theSpanish Inquisition toGranada, and there interfered withHernando de Talavera's efforts to peacefully convert itsMuslim inhabitants to Christianity. Talavera favored slow conversion by explaining to the Moors, in their language, the truths of the Catholic religion, but Cisneros said that this was "giving pearls to pigs", and proceeded with forced mass conversion. He ordered the public burning of allArabic manuscripts that could be found in Granada — 5,000 is the lowest figure the contemporary sources give — except those dealing with medicine.[5]
The indignation of the unconvertedMudéjares (i.e., Iberian Muslims living in Christian territories) over this gross violation of theAlhambra treaty swelled into the open revolt known asthe First Rebellion of the Alpujarras. The revolt was violently suppressed and they were given a choice — contrary to the terms of Granada's surrender — ofbaptism or exile. The majority accepted baptism and by 1500 Cisneros reported that "there is now no one in the city who is not a Christian, and all themosques are churches".[7] However, he had created a problem that would only end with the expulsion from Spain ofMoriscos in 1609.
On 26 November 1504 Isabella died. Ferdinand claimed regency against his son-in-lawPhilip I of Castile, and Cisneros helped mediate the dispute in theTreaty of Villafafila which left Philip as king of Castile.[8] When Philip died in 1506, Ferdinand was inNaples and Cisneros set up aregent government in his absence, and stopped a plot by a group of high nobles to take over the throne. In return for his loyalty, Ferdinand made CisnerosGrand Inquisitor for Castile and León in 1507 and prevailed on the Pope to give him aCardinal's hat.
The next great event in the cardinal's life was the attack against the Moorish city ofOran in North Africa, in which his religious zeal coincided with Ferdinand's prospect for political and material gain. A preliminary expedition, equipped at Cisneros' expense, captured the port ofMers El Kébir in 1505. In 1509, a strong force accompanied by the cardinal in person set sail for Africa, and in one day the wealthy city wastaken by storm.[9] Cisneros returned to Spain and attempted to recover from Ferdinand the expenses of the expedition, but Ferdinand was content with taking Oran and because of his greater interest in Italy he would not support Cisneros' plans for a larger North African crusade and conquest.
On 23 January 1516 Ferdinand died, leaving Cisneros asregent of Castile for Charles (afterwardCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor), then a youth of sixteen in the Netherlands. Though Cisneros at once took firm hold of the reins of government, and ruled in a determined and even autocratic manner, the turbulent Castilian nobility and the jealous intriguingFlemish councilors for Charles combined to render Cisneros' position peculiarly difficult. Cisneros acceded to Charles' desire to be proclaimed king; he secured the person of Charles' younger brother Ferdinand (afterwardFerdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor); he fixed the seat of the courts atMadrid; and he established a standing army by drilling the citizens of the major towns.[9] During his regency, he dealt with theSpanish conquest of Navarre. He is remembered for ordering the demolition of most of the fortresses of Navarre (e.g., theCastle of Xavier, home toFrancis Xavier's family) aimed at dampening any spirits of resistance and thwarting future rebellions against Spanish occupation.
In September 1517, Charles landed inAsturias on the northern coast of Spain. He arranged to meet with Cisneros inValladolid and receive a briefing on the situation in his Spanish kingdoms. While making preparations for the meeting, Cisneros fell ill. He was still weak from illness when he began his journey to Valladolid and only made it as far as Aranda when his weakness and rumors of the plague forced him to seek shelter in the Monastery of Aguilera. Cisneros never recovered. In early November Charles sent a note thanking him for his services and giving him leave to retire. It is not clear whether Cisneros ever received the letter. He died on 8 November 1517 atRoa.[10][11]
_Alcal%25C3%25A1_de_Henares%2c_fachada_de_la_Universidad.png)
Cardinal Cisneros was a bold and determined statesman. Described as stern, fanatical and inflexible even by the harsh standards of his time, with a confidence that became at times overbearing, he carried through what he had decided to be right, with little regard for the convenience of others or for himself. He was seen as incorruptible, and founded and maintained numerous benevolent institutions in his diocese. His whole life was devoted either to the state or to religion; and his only recreation was in theological orscholastic discussion.[9]
The university atAlcalá de Henares was founded in 1500 and opened in 1508. The university, raised at the sole expense of and fostered by Cardinal Cisneros, attained a great reputation. At one time 7,000 students met within its walls. All the religious orders in Spain, except theBenedictines andHieronymites, established houses at Alcalá in connection with it.[3] In 1836 the university, with falling enrollments and in some disarray, was moved to Madrid, renamed theUniversidad Complutense de Madrid ("Complutense" means "from Alcalá", whose Latin name is Complutum), and the buildings in Alcalá de Henares were left vacant until the creation of the modernUniversity of Alcalá de Henares in 1977.
Cisneros published religious treatises by himself and others. He also revived the Mozarabic liturgy, and endowed a chapel in Toledo where it was to be used.[9]
He is well known for his sponsorship of theComplutensian Polyglot, the first printedpolyglot translation of the Bible, in which three different versions of the Old Testament were put in parallel columns –Greek,Latin, andHebrew – with theAramaic text ofTargum Onkelos and its own Latin translation added at the bottom, so that readers for the first time could check all the translations simultaneously. The New Testament consisted of parallel columns of Greek and the Latin Vulgate. The text occupies five volumes, and a sixth contains a Hebrew lexicon, etc. The work commenced in 1502. TheNew Testament was finished in January 1514, and the whole in April 1517. The book was dedicated toPope Leo X. Cisneros died months after it was completed and did not live to see it published.
A cause for Cisneros's beatification was formally opened on 15 October 1669, granting him the title ofServant of God. His spiritual writings were approved by theologians on 1 March 1681. He was later granted the title ofVenerable.[12]
In 1884, Spanish colonists commemorated Cisneros by foundingVilla Cisneros, nowDakhla,Western Sahara.
TheSpanish Navyarmored cruiserCardenal Cisneros,commissioned in 1902, was named for Cisneros.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Jimenes de Cisneros, Francisco".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 415–416._Arquetipo_de_virtudes.png)
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Grand Inquisitor of Castile 1507–1517 | Succeeded by |
| Records | ||
| Preceded by | Oldest living Member of the Sacred College 15 March 1517 - 8 November 1517 | Succeeded by |
