Antonio Ferrero
Antonio Ferrero (died 1508) (called the Cardinal of Gubbio) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal.
Biography
Antonio Ferrero was born into a poor family in Savona.[1] As a youth, he was a squire of Cardinal Girolamo Basso della Rovere.[1] He then entered the service of Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, the future Pope Julius II, who made him a protonotary apostolic and majordomo of the papal household.[1]
On January 8, 1504, he was elected Bishop of Noli.[1] He was consecrated as a bishop in the Vatican by Pope Julius II on April 9, 1504.[1] He was transferred to the see of Gubbio on August 13, 1504, occupying that see for the rest of his life.[1] He became Master of the Pontifical Household and Prefect of the Apostolic Palace.[1]
Pope Julius II made him a cardinal priest in the consistory of December 1, 1505.[1] He received the red hat and the titular church of San Vitale on December 17, 1505.[1]
On January 23, 1506, he was appointed papal legate in Perugia.[1] He was named Bishop of Perugia on March 30, 1506.[1] He also served as a pro-datary.[1]
On February 20, 1507, he was appointed papal legate in Bologna.[1] In Bologna, he had several inhabitants executed and extorted 30,000 gold ducats from the populace.[1] He also may have conspired to assassinate the pope.[1] As such, the pope recalled the cardinal to Rome in August 1507 and ordered the cardinal be imprisoned in the Castel Sant'Angelo.[1] He was subsequently fined 20,000 scudi and then imprisoned in the convent of Sant'Onofrio.[1]
He died in custody in Rome on July 23, 1508.[1] He was buried without ceremony in the Basilica di Sant'Agostino and his estates were sold in order to repay his victims.[1]
