Giovanni Francesco Guidi di Bagno (1578 – 1641) (also known as Gian Francesco Guidi di Bagno, Gianfrancesco Guidi di Bagno, Giovanni Francesco Bagni or Gianfrancesco de' Conti Guidi di Bagno)[1][2] was an Italian cardinal, brother of cardinal Nicola Guidi di Bagno and nephew of cardinal Girolamo Colonna.
Giovanni Francesco Guidi di Bagno studied law at the universities of Pisa and Bologne, literature and philosophy at the universities of Pisa and Florence and acquired a doctorate in both civil law and church law (Doctor utriusque juris).[3]
In 1596, he received the commendation of the Abbey of St Mary of Mater Domini near Salerno. In 1597, he was appointed Protonotary apostolic, member of the college of protonotarii apostolici de numero participantium which was facilitated by his kinship with Cardinals Marcantonio and Ascanio Colonna.[3]
He was elevated cardinal and reserved in pectore in 1627 and installed in 1631.[2]
In 1630 in Paris, Cardinal Guidi di Bagno met Gabriel Naudé who became his librarian and secretary and accompanied him in 1631 to Italy,[6] and René Descartes highly appreciated him.[1]
Many contemporaries were convinced that [Guidi di Bagno] had all the qualities to be a worthy successor to Urban VIII. When Urban VIII fell seriously ill in 1637, Richelieu had [Guidi di Bagno] proposed as the official candidate for France. He was undoubtedly appreciated and regarded in many circles; he had the ability to behave independently in conflict situations and to maintain friendly relations even with personalities of different political persuasions. Precisely because of Richelieu's open support and because his partiality in the negotiation of the Franco-Bavarian alliance had not been forgotten, it is probable that the Habsburg party opposed his candidature, although no precise evidence of this is available.
— Rotraud Becker, "Guidi di Bagno, Giovanni Francesco", Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (2004)[3]
He died on 24 July 1641(1641-07-24) (aged 62) in Rome. He was buried in the church Santi Bonifacio e Alessio.[7]
^ abcdBecker, Rotraud (2004). "GUIDI DI BAGNO, Giovanni Francesco". treccani.it (in Italian). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (Vol.61). Retrieved 10 February 2021.
^Guidi di Bagno's correspondence as Apostolic Nuncio to Flanders has been calendared in the Analecta Vaticano-Belgica as Correspondance du nonce Giovanni-Francesco Guidi di Bagno, 1621-1627, edited by Bernard De Meester (2 vols., Brussels, 1938).
