Matteo Rosso Orsini (c. 1230, in Rome – 4 September 1305, in Perugia), was a Roman aristocrat, politician, diplomat, and Roman Catholic Cardinal. He was the nephew of Pope Nicholas III (Giovanni Gaetano Orsini) (1277-1280).Demski, Papst Nikolaus III, pp. 1-3. Richard Sternfeld, Der Kardinal Johann Gaetan Orsini (Papst Nikolaus III.) 1244-1277 (Berlin: E. Ebering 1905), p. 2 and n. 6. Robert Brentano, Rome before Avignon pp. 35-39, 100-105, 184-188.
Family and early life
Matteo Rosso was the son of Gentile Orsini, Lord of Mugnano, Penna, Nettuno and Pitigliano, who was the son of Matteo Rosso Orsini, "Il Grande" (1178-1246). Matteo's mother was named Costanza. He had two older male siblings, Romano (a Dominican) and Bertoldo, and two older female siblings, Perna (who married Pietro Stefaneschi, Lord of Porto, the parents of Cardinal Giacomo Giovanni Gaetani Stefaneschi) and Angela (who married Guastarano de’ Paparoni, Count of Anguillara). He had a younger brother, Orso, and a sister, Elisabetta (who married Roffredo Caetani, Lord of Sermoneta). His uncle was Cardinal Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, who had been made a cardinal in 1244 and who became Pope Nicholas III in 1277.
The family was very close to S. Francis of Assisi. The Grandfather, Matteo Rosso "Il Grande", had been a member of the Third Order of S. Francis, and Giovanni Gaetano Orsini had been an oblate as a child, and had been named Protector of the Franciscans by Pope Alexander IV.Demski, p. 7 and n. 1. J. Guiraud, Les Registres d'Urbain IV Tome II (Paris 1901), p. 132 no. 288 (14 July 1263).
There is little evidence about Matteo Rosso Orsini's education.
On 4 January 1253, Pope Innocent IV (Fieschi) wrote concerning the testamentary bequests of Cardinal Giovanni Colonna (died 1245), which were being administered by his executor, Cardinal Aegidius de Torres; some 200 marks of Cardinal Colonna's money had been deposited at S. Geneviève in Paris for the benefit of Oddo Colonna, his nephew. The Pope ordered that the 200 marks be paid to Oddo Colonna or his procurator, and that his Subdeacon and Chaplain, Matteo Rosso, Parisius commoranti, be instructed to compel the agents to turn over the money to Oddo Colonna.E. Berger, Les registres d' Innocent IV III (Paris 1897), p. 147, no. 6179. From this, it is inferred that Matteo Rosso Orsini was studying at the University of Paris.Paola Pavan, "Orsini, Matteo Rosso" Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani Volume 79 (2013): apprendiamo che Matteo Rosso, intrapresa la carriera ecclesiastica, all’epoca si trovava a Parigi, ove con ogni probabilità compì gli studi teologici, forse sotto la guida di Michele Scotto o di Ranolfo d’Humblières. This statement is mostly imaginary.
His name appears in a document of 13 November 1255, in which he is present in a court proceeding before Cardinal Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, his uncle, as Magister Matheus Rubeus, Canon of Laon, Papal chaplain, and providus iurisC. Bourel de la Roncière (ed.), Registres d'Alexandre IV (paris 1902), p. 285, no. 947. This indicates that Matteo Rosso had a teaching degree, and that it was in law. It is inferred that he took his degree at Bologna,Morghen (1923), pp. 275-277. though there is no evidence for that inference, and there are several of other possibilities. It would appear, however, that his study of the law was rather brief if he was still in Paris at the beginning of 1253, and already working at the Roman Curia in November 1255.
It is said that Matteo Rosso Orsini wrote theological tracts, but it is likely that this statement is the result of a confusion with his nephew and namesake, who was a Dominican and a theologian, and a Cardinal at Avignon (1327-1340).
It is not known when, or how, Matteo Rosso became a Canon at Laon. There is no evidence that Matteo Rosso was ever ordained a priest or consecrated a bishop.
Cardinalate
Matteo Rosso was created a cardinal by Pope Urban IV (Jacques Pantaleone) in May 1262,Conradus Eubel, Hierarchia catholica medii aevi I, editio altera (Monasterii 1913), p. 8 n.6, points out, that if the Consistory took place during the Quattuor Tempora (Ember Days), the date would have been 11 June. Sternfeld, Der Kardinal Johann Gaetan Orsini, pp. 28-29. Demski, p. 16 n. 3, states that his original Deaconry was S. Maria in Cosmedin, but that post was already held by Cardinal Giacopo Savelli. Eubel, p. 51. and granted the Deaconry of S. Maria in Porticu. It is said that he held the titular church of S. Maria in Trastevere in commendam (as an Administrator).Lorenzo Cardella, Memorie delle cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa I. 2 (Roma 1792), p. 308. There seems to be no documentary evidence. The church had no cardinal-priest in the second half of the 13th century. He was Archpriest of the Vatican Basilica from early in the reign of Nicholas III, who had himself been Archpriest before his election to the Papacy.before 25 May 1278: A. Huyskens, Historisches Jahrbuch 27 (1906), p. 266 n.1; Registres de Nicolas III no. 517 (3 February 1279). Augustus Potthast, Regesta pontificum Romanorum II (Berlin 1875), no. 24945 (27 April 1300); 24989 (3 November 1300); 25001-25002 (3 January 1301); no. 25028 (16 March 1301). Johrendt, Die Diener des Apostelfürsten, p. 78. In 1263 his uncle Giovanni Gaetano Orsini was named Protector of the Franciscans and the Poor Clares.Demski, p. 17.
In 1264, Cardinal Matteo was appointed Apostolic Legate and Rector of the Patrimony of S. Peter in Tuscia by Pope Urban IV (1261-1264), to recover territories in Tuscany which had been usurped by various lords, especially Petrus de Vico and his German forces.Potthast, no. 18997 (9 August 1264); no.19311 (15 August 1265). Another of his tasks was to restrain the government of Siena, which was encroaching on various smaller towns in Tuscany. During the time of his legation, on 2 October 1264, Pope Urban died at Perugia, having been driven out of Orvieto, and Matteo Rosso Orsini, along with seventeen other cardinals, sat down in Perugia to elect a new Pope. It took them only five days to choose a new pope, Cardinal Guido Grosso Fulcodi (Guy Folques), but he was absent in France. He had been appointed Legate to England, but the civil war in that country prevented his crossing the channel. He finally abandoned his mission and travelled to Perugia, where, on 5 February 1265, he accepted the papal throne, and announced that he would be called Clement IV.Sede Vacante and Election of 1264-1265 (Dr. J. P. Adams).
At the end of December 1264 Cardinal Matteo was assigned, with four other cardinals, to carry out the unction and coronation of Charles of Anjou and his wife Beatrice as King and Queen of Sicily.E. Jordan (ed.), Les Registres de Clement IV I (Paris 1893), pp. 65-66, nos. 242-243 (4 November and 29 December 1264). Charles entered Rome on 23 May 1265 and was crowned on 6 January 1266. Pope Clement had offered to crown Charles himself, if he would come to Viterbo, since Pope Clement was not welcome in Rome. But Charles insisted on being crowned in Rome.
Then came the serious negotiations. Ambassadors from King Charles presented the Pope with three requests in May 1266. First, he wanted to have the Senatorship of Rome, despite oaths he had taken and promises he had made relinquish the office and title; he wanted a dispensation. Second, he was obligated to pay the Pope 50,000 marks, which he wanted cancelled. Third, he wanted advice as to what to do about the Saracens who lived in his kingdom centered in Luceria. Pope Clement consulted with the cardinals who were in the Curia, but it happened that three cardinals were absent on assignments: Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, Giacomo Savelli, and Matteo Rosso Orsini. He therefore sent messengers to each cardinal, requesting their advice in writing. At the time, his answer to the ambassadors was that, in the case of the Senatorship, the 'way of this provision was not open to us.' Charles was running the risk of excommunication. As to the other points, the Pope put off the ambassadors until he could get input from the three absent cardinals by return messenger.Les Registres de Clement IV I, pp. 378-379, no. 1057 (Viterbo, 14/15 May 1266). The fear that Charles could not be contained is palpable. He wanted Rome and he wanted it indefinitely.Gregorovius, pp. 399-402. At the same time, the Ghibbelines were rallying around Conradin, the son of Frederick II, placing the successes of King Charles in favor (or so it seemed) of the Guelphs in danger.
In the summer of 1266, Cardinal Matteo was appointed examiner of the election of a new Abbot for the Monastery of S. Maria de Valle Pontis in the diocese of Perugia. Papal approval was granted.Les Registres de Clement IV I, p. 91 no. 338. In the Fall of 1267, he was an examiner into the election of Johannes Alfonsi as Archbishop of Compostella. So much irregularity was uncovered about the candidate's career that the Pope quashed the election entirely, and reserved to himself the matter of illegally held benefices and offices.Les Registres de Clement IV I, pp. 181-184, no. 545.
In November 1267 Henry of Castile,Brentano, Rome before Avignon, pp. 99-100. brother of King Alfonso of Castile, Senator of Rome, had shown himself openly as a supporter of Conradin, and had arrested numerous nobles who were relatives of Cardinal Matteo and Cardinal Giovanni Orsini, Cardinal Riccardo Annibaldi, and Cardinal Giacomo Savelli E. Jordan (ed.), Registres de Clément IV I (Paris 1893), no. 1275 (16 November 1267). Richard Sternfeld, Der Kardinal Johann Gaetan Orsini (Papst Nikolaus III.), pp. 92-102. In May 1268 Cardinal Orsini was in Rome. On 17 May 1268 Pope Clement IV had to issue orders to Henry, brother of the King of Castile, who was Senator of Rome, to cease molesting Cardinal Mattheo and Cardinal Giovanni Orsini.Registres de Clément IV I, no. 700, p. 265. In August 1268 Cardinal Matteo Rosso Orsini and Cardinal Giovanni Caetano Orsini were in the city of Rome when Conradin and his forces descended on the city, enraged by their defeat in the Battle of Tagliacozzo on 23 August. Among his leaders was Henry of Castile, called "The Senator", because King Charles of Anjou had appointed him to govern Rome in 1267.Antonio Vendettini, Serie cronologica de' Senatori di Roma (Roma 1778), p. 13. The city was plundered, St. Peter's was occupied and its treasury looted, and the two Orsini cardinals were roughed up and suffered material losses. Henry was excommunicated for his outrages, and it was only two decades later that he was canonically absolved.Maurice Prou (editor), Les registres d'Honorius IV (Paris 1888), pp. 240-241 no. 319. Gregorovius, History of Rome in the Middle Ages, Volume V. 2, pp. 440-443.
Conclave of 1268–1271