Justified by Faith

The intriguing story of Giulia Gonzaga, Countess of Fondi

Tommaso Avallone

• Publisher: Ali Ribelli Edizioni
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9788833465258
• eBook ISBN: 9788833465289
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: European Renaissance History
• Index: History

For centuries, the life-story of Giulia Gonzaga was treated as the fable of a damsel in distress. Truly, the Countess of Fondi was a key figure in the Italian Protestant Movement. The profound devoutness of a young and well-educated woman; the intrigues of the Italian aristocracy of the day; and the relentless witch-hunt of the Roman and Spanish Inquisition are among the pieces that form the extraordinary mosaic of Giulia Gonzaga's true story.

Ch. 1

Child of nobility

Giulia was the fifth of nine children born around 1513 CE to Count Ludovico Gonzaga and his wife Francesca. As the patriarch of a powerful and wealthy noble family Count Ludovico ruled a territory in northern Italy, which included the towns of Gazzuolo, Rodigo, Rivalta, Sabbioneta, Corregioverde, Pompenesco, and Belforte.

While growing up in Gazzuolo, young Giulia lived in a spacious and luxurious home with many servants and slaves attending to her needs. Learned persons visited on a daily basis to provide private tutoring in reading, writing, mathematics, and social matters while the local clergy also stopped by regularly to dispense religious education to the young princess.

A significant turning point in Giulia’s life took place when she was barely twelve years of age. In the spring of 1525, the Marchesa of the nearby city of Mantua named Isabella D’Este Gonzaga met with Giulia’s parents in Gazzuolo to discuss a plan to advance the status of the Gonzaga noble family. Isabella D’Este Gonzaga proposed traveling to Rome in order to meet with Pope Clement VII and secure clerical promotions for her son Ercole and Giulia’s brother Pirro. Giulia’s parents agreed to allow their daughter to tag along hoping she would attract a most appropriate suitor in Rome.

Giulia’s parents obviously trusted and respected Isabella D’Este Gonzaga. The Marchesa of Mantua was a powerful and talented woman. She was known among the Italian nobility as “la prima donna” (the first lady). She fancied herself as one of the smartest, most beautiful, and most cultured women among the elite of Italy. At her palatial estate in Mantua, she proudly displayed a large collection of Renaissance, Roman, and Greek art. Her need to possess unique items was not limited to just material effects. It was reported she once instructed her handler to purchase a slave from Africa with skin darker than any other slave in Italy. While many considered her vain and materialistic, Isabella was without question intelligent, pragmatic, and shrewd.

In the spring of 1525, Isabella and Giulia escorted by trusted guards made the long and dangerous trip to Rome from their home in northern Italy. It’s not clear whether Giulia understood the real purpose of her trip to Rome but if she did, she most likely fantasized about finding “prince charming”.

Arrangements were made for the Gonzaga ladies to stay at “Palazzo Colonna” located near the Vatican complex. The spacious palace had been one of the many possessions of the powerful Colonna noble family for generations and was the current home of Pompeo Colonna, a respected military leader and influential cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.

Shortly after arriving in Rome, Isabella wasted no time meeting with Pope Clement VII to negotiate a price for the promotion of her son Ercole and Giulia’s brother Pirro. In the 16th century, it was standard practice for Popes to sell cardinal and bishop positions to the highest bidder. Now Giulia had the rare opportunity to witness first hand the level of corruption within the leadership of the Catholic Church.

Giulia learned that Pope Clement VII was in fact Giulio de Medici, patriarch of the notorious Florentine aristocratic family. Giulio de Medici had been elected Pope in 1523 shortly after the death of his cousin Pope Leo X. Most historians agree the Medici popes were only two among many dishonorable individuals to ever pose as vicars of Christ.

While Jesus lived unpretentiously and preached against the trappings of wealth, the Medici popes proudly wore ornate jewel-encrusted tiaras and were usually held high in golden chairs on the shoulder of servants and slaves. For the Medicis, the papacy was simply a vehicle to gain more power and profit from the enormous sum of money collected from parishes throughout Europe. The financial proceeds from typical church functions such as baptisms, funerals, and weddings were apparently not enough for Pope Clement. To extort even more money from his mostly indigent and gullible flock he ordered his priests and monks to sell “indulgences”, the ridiculous idea sins can be forgiven for a price.

Being so young Giulia would have had no idea that corruption within the Catholic Church did not begin with the Medici popes. It was a gradual process which evolved over the centuries following the death of Jesus.

Following are a few significant examples of arrogance and corruption displayed by other popes prior to the Medici popes. In 1075 CE, for example, Pope Gregory VII in his papal bull titled “Dictatus Papae” arrogantly claimed he was not only infallible but also superior to all temporal rulers. He reasoned that because Jesus appointed Peter to be the first pontiff, all subsequent popes should be considered the only true representatives of God on earth. According to his bull, vicars of Christ can’t make mistakes. Popes can judge anyone but no one can judge them. Moreover, all temporal rulers shall kiss the feet of the pope and any temporal leader not at peace with the Roman Catholic Church can be excommunicated and deposed by any Pope.1

It’s also interesting and revealing to note that Pope Gregory was also responsible for imposing celibacy on members of the Catholic Clergy. He claimed his motive was to assure clerics would be fully dedicated to Christ. Practically, however, the unnatural imposition of celibacy assured that any accumulated funds and possessions held by clerics would be passed on to the Church and not to the wives and children of the clergy.

Outrageous arrogance and lack of true Christian values was again shown in 1095 CE when Pope Urban II urged Christians throughout Europe to take up arms and liberate the “holy land” from Muslim control.

Claiming to be speaking for God and having the power of God, Pope Urban claimed; God wills it… Christ commands it… All who die in battle against the pagans shall have immediate pardon of all sins.2

Despite the fact that he was responsible for inciting violence on a massive scale, Pope Urban II was “beatified” by the Roman Catholic Church in 1881.3

In 1302 CE Pope Boniface VIII took arrogance to possibly the highest level when he declared to have the power to decide who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. He apparently wrote: We declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff.4

Up until she actually met Pope Clement and some of his cardinals, Giulia believed the leaders of the Catholic church were good spiritual human beings. As she observed their conniving ways and opulent lifestyle, she realized they were in fact unscrupulous individuals undeserving the role of representatives of Jesus Christ. She was only twelve years of age but old enough to understand the Church deserved better. Giulia’s personal experience related to the abuses of the Vatican explain her auditious decision later in life to dedicate herself to the mission of subverting the power held by the leaders of the Catholic Church.

1 Consult, https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/g7-dictpap.asp

2 Consult, https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/urban2-5vers.asp

3 Consult, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Urban-II

4 Consult, https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/B8-unam.asp

Ch. 2

Arranged Marriage

From letters she wrote to her parents, Giulia seemed to enjoy her stay in Rome. Experiencing life in a big city must have been stimulating for the young princess. Under papal direction, numerous buildings, public squares, and churches were being built. Just steps from the Colonna Palace hundreds of skilled laborers, architects, and artists worked around the clock to complete the grandiose project of rebuilding Saint Peter’s Cathedral. As she toured the Vatican grounds, Giulia was one of the few privileged people to first admire the frescoes of Michelangelo’s on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and paintings of Raphael’s adorning the Pope’s private library.

While staying at the Colonna Palace, Giulia and Isabella had the opportunity to meet many wealthy and influential personalities. Among them was a powerful warlord called Vespasiano Colonna. The forty-year-old widower lived in his grand castle in the city of Paliano where, assisted by servants and slaves, he raised his twelve-year-old daughter Isabella. The wealthy and accomplished “condottiere” (military leader) was allied with the king of Spain and held titles such as Lord of Paliano and Genazzano, Count of Fondi, and Duke of Minturno.

When Vespasiano Colonna first met the young debutante, he most likely understood she was being offered for sale to the highest bidder. Being almost thirty years older than Giulia was apparently no obstacle for him. Shortly after meeting the attractive Gonzaga princess, Count Colonna started his courtship by inviting Giulia and Isabella to visit his many impressive castles just outside of Rome. After several such outings, he revealed to Isabella D’Este that he intended...

Table of contents

• About the author
• Introduction
• Ch. 1
• Ch. 2
• Ch. 3
• Ch. 4
• Ch. 5
• Ch. 6
• Ch. 7
• Barbarossa’s Attack on Fondi
• Ch. 8
• Ch. 9
• Ch. 10
• Ch. 11
• Ch.12
• Ch.13
• Epilogue
• Bibliography