NICHOLAS
58
NICHOLAS
In 1291 the fall of Ptolemais put an end to Christian
dominion in the East. Previous to this tragic event.
Nicholas had in vain endeavoured to orpinize a cru-
sade. He now called upon all the Chri.-itiaii princes
to take u[) arms ajtainst the Mussuluuin and insti<;at<Ml
the holding of council.-; to dcvi.se the means of .scmlin};
assistance to the Holy Land. Thc.se .synods were to
discuss likewise the advisability of the union of the
Knights Templars and Knights of St. John, as the
dissen.sions among them had partly caused the lo.ss of
Ptolemais. The pope himself initiated the prepara-
tions for the crusade and fitted out twenty ships for
the war. His appeals and his example remained un-
heeded, however, and nothing of permanent value was
accomplished.
Nichohis IV sent missionaries, among them the celebrated John of Montecorvino (q. v.), to the Bul- garians, Ethiopians, Tatars, and Chinese. By his constitution of 18 July, 1289, the cardinals were granted one half of the revenues of the .\postolic See and a share in the financial administration. In 1290 he renewed the condemnation of the sect known a.s the Apostolici (q. v.). Nicholas was pious and learned; he contributed to the artistic beauty of Home, building particularly a palace beside Santa Maria Maggiore, the church in which he was buried and where Sixtus V erected an imposing monument to his memory.
Laxglois. Les Rigistres de Nicolas IV (Paris. 1886-93); Pott- bast, Regesta pontificum Romanorum, II (Berlin, 1875), 1820- 1915: Kaltenbrcnner, Aktensliicke zur Gesch, des Dn,r , ':■ ,i Retches unter Rudolf I und Albrecht I (Vienna, ISSli* !:; ; -
MONT. Gesch. der Stadt Rom, II (Berlin, 1867), 611-14: s
Studien zur Gesch. Papst Nikolaus, IV (Berlin, 1897): XU — i. Niccold IV (Sinigaglia, 1905); Schaff, History of the t'fui^fnnt Church, V, pt. I (New York, 1907), 207, 2S7, 410.
N. A. Weber.
Nicholas V, Pope (Tomm,\so Parentdceli.i), a name ne\-er to be mentioned without reverence by every lover of letters, b. at Sarzana in Liguria, 1.5 November, 1397; d. in Rome, 24-5 March, 145.5. While still a youth he lost his father, a poor but skilful physician, and was thereby prevented from completing his studies at Bologna. He became tutor in the families of the Strozzi and Albizzi at Florence, where he made the acquaintance of the leading Humanist scholars of the day. In 1419 he returned to Bologna, and three years later took his degree as master of theology. The saintly bishop of Bologna, Nic- Arms of cold Albergati, now took him into his
Nicholas V ser\'ice. For more than twenty years ParentuceUi was the bishop's factotum, and in that capacity was enabled to indulge his passion for build- ing and that of collecting books. Unlike many biblio- philes he was as well acquainted with the matter con- tained within his volumes as with their bindings and value. Some of them are still preserved, and contain many marginal notes in his beautiful writing. His knowledge was of the encyclopedic character not unusual at a time when the learned undertook to argue de omni re scibili. His mind, however, was receptive rather than productive. Neverthe- less, he could make good use of what he had studied, as was shown at the Council of Florence where his familiarity with Patristic and Scholastic theology gave him a prominent place in the discussions with the Greek bishops. He accompanied Alber- gati in various legatine missions, notably to France, and was always watchful for rare and beautiful books. Eugene IV wished to attach such a bril- liant .scholar to his own person; but ParentuceUi re- mained faithful to his patron. On the death of the latter he was appointed to succeed him in the See of Bologna, but was unable to take possession owing to the troubled state of the city. This led to his be- ing entrusted by Pope Eugene with important diplo-
matic missions in Italy and Germany, which he carried
otit with such success that he obtained as his reward
a cardinal's hat (Dec, 141(1). I'/irly next year (23
Feb.) Eugene died, and Parciilucclli was elected in his
place, taking as his name Nicholas m memory of his
obligations to Niccolo AlbcrKali ((1 March, M17).
As soon as the new pontilT w:is linnly se;iled on his throne, it was felt th.at a new spirit had come into the papacy. Now that there was no longer any danger of a fresh outbreak of schism and the Council of Con- stance had lost all influence, Nicholas could devote himself to the accomplishment of objects which were the aim of his life and had been the means of raising him to his present exalted position. He designed to
The Vati.
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n. Ko
make Rome the site of splendid monuments, the home
of literature and art, the bulwark of the papacy, and
the worthy capital of the Christian world. His first
care was to strengthen the fortifications, and restore
the churches in which the stations were held. Next
he took in hand the cleansing and paving of the
streets. Rome, once famous for the number and
magnificence of its aqueducts, had become almost en-
tirely dei^endent for its water supply on the Tiber and
on wells and cisterns. The "Aqua Virgo", originally
constructed by Agrippa, was restored by Nicholas,
and is to this day the most prized by the Romans, un-
der the name of "Acqua Trevi". But the works on
which he especially set his heart were the rebuilding
of the Leonine City, the Vatican, and the Basilica
of St. Peter. On this spot, as in a centre, the glories
of the papacy were to be focused. We cannot here
enter into a description of the noble designs which he
entertained (see Pastor, "History of the Popes", II,
173 sqq., Eng. tr.). The basilica, the palace, and the
fortress of the popes are not now what he would have
made them; but their actual splendours are due in no
small measure to the lofty aspirations of Nicholas V.
He has been severely censurecl for pulling down a por-
tion of the old St. Peter's and planning the destruction
of the remainder. He defended his action on the
ground that the buildings were on the verge of ruin
(Mlintz, "Les Arts k la Cour des Papes", p. 118); but
the almost equally ancient Basilica of San Paolo
fuori le Mura was preserved by judicious restorations
until it was destroyed by fire in 1823. The pontiff's
veneration for antiquity may have yielded to his de-
sire to construct an edifice more in harmony with the
classical taste of the Renaissance school, of which
he himself was so .ardent an adherent. Nothing but
praise, however, can be given to him for his work in
the Vatican Palace. Indeed it was he who first made
it the worthy residence of the po))es. Some of his
constructions still remain, notably the left side of the
court of St. Damasus and the chapel of San Lorenzo,
decorated with Fra Angelico's frescoes.
