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Archbishop Ranuccio (Ranuzio) Scotti Douglas, Bishop Emeritus of Borgo San Donnino died 10 May 1659) - so it is not him! But who?

Domat omnia virtus - Virtue conquers all things

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Albums: Heraldry

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Comment by J Ruaidri Douglas on October 9, 2023 at 9:32

After all that, I hope I tagged the right Ranuccio! haha

Comment by J Ruaidri Douglas on October 9, 2023 at 9:29

Hic jacet pulvis, cinis, nihil. subsequently his nephew Francesco, canon of the patriarchal basilica of St. Peter in Rome, had the following other gold-lettered plaque walled up, surmounted by the Scottish coat of arms, which began with those words and continued touching on the salient points of the life of Scotti Douglas: hic jacet pulvis cinis nihil idulla inscribi voluit his sepulcher Ranutius Scottius mar. Horatii f. ex mar. mon. alb. ep. burg. s. Don. ex modestia et virtute virtutes abierunt in coelum una cum anima et vivent in memoria posteritatis quas in Rom. cur. muner. probavit per annos xxxiv nuntius ab Urban viii ad Helvetios cum potestate de latere legates mox ad Lud. xiii Galliae reg. iii and tot. prov. Picenaepraefectus et armorum generalis gubernatur temporibus difficillimis annos iii sub Innocentio x et Alexandro vi supremae pontificiae domus magister quidem mortis nactus in patria post tot labores anno aetatis s.lxiv - hs mdclx - x mai comes franciscus Maria Scotus basilicae vat. princep. apostolor. can. et Alex vii cubicularius honorarius patruo beneficentissimo gr. an. mem. p.    The plaque stood out on the right wall when entering the church from the main door, but in 1938, during the restoration work on the temple, it was removed and no longer put back on site.
SOURCES AND BIBL.: E. Grassi, Monsignor Ranuzio Scotti-Douglas Fidentine Bishop and Apostolic Nuncio. Biographical notes, Editrice La Giovane Montagna, Parma, 1940; L. Mensi, Biographical dictionary of the Piacentini, 1899, 411; Aurea Parma 4 1941, 144-152; D. Soresina, Fidentina diocesan encyclopedia, 1961, 140-144; P.Blet, Correspondance du Nonce en France Ranuccio Scotti (1639-1641), Rome, Paris, 1964.

Comment by J Ruaidri Douglas on October 9, 2023 at 9:29

Scotti Douglas donated the altar to the sacred building greater, dictating two plaques to commemorate the event: I also wanted to make clear not only to those of Lucerne, but to posterity and foreigners (he left written in the aforementioned work Helvetia profana et sacra) my obligation towards God, His Holiness and the Mr. Cardinal Barberino, my benefactors, marking the marble of the main altar, remanufactured by me, with these notes of gratitude. On 7 September 1639 Scotti Douglas was transferred as extraordinary apostolic nuncio to Paris, where he entered into a friendly relationship with Cardinal Richelieu and had frequent official relations with him. Having returned to Italy after two years of staying in the French capital, he was appointed governor of the Marche, a position to which, given the war waged by connected princes against the Pope, that of general superintendent of the pontifical arms in the same province was added. On 6 August 1643 he was conferred the patriarchal dignity of the Vatican Basilica and, having concluded on 30 March 1644 the peace between Urban VIII and Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma for the Castro dispute, it was expected that Scotti Douglas, for the services rendered to the church , was elected cardinal. in this regard, Grassi recounts that, since eight positions in the Sacred College were vacant, Cardinal Antonio Barberini urged the pontiff to provide for the appointment of as many cardinals. But the Pope opposed it and postponed the provision until he died on 19 July 1644. In our opinion it was a way of getting rid of embarrassment about the awarding of the purple to Msgr. Scotti for the ties existing between his family and the Farnese, who fought against the Holy See in Castro's war (grassi). The new Pope Innocent To better dedicate himself to his new office, Scotti Douglas renounced (1650) the bishopric of Borgo San Donnino. In 1655 he founded a chaplaincy in the basilica of the Holy House of Loreto, endowing it with 1470 Roman scudi, with the burden of daily mass and leaving the right of patronage to his heirs. On 19 May 1657 he wanted to make a will, entrusting his last wishes to the Roman notary Giacomo Simonetti. Feeling old and tired, he renounced his onerous duties to retire to Piacenza to peacefully spend what he still had left to live. When he died four years later, he wanted to be buried in the Capuchin church in a mound bearing this short inscription previously dictated by himself:

Comment by J Ruaidri Douglas on October 9, 2023 at 9:23

On 23 September 1628 the relevant deed was drawn up by the chancellor and notary of the Ducal Chamber Alessandro Magri and Scotti Douglas assigned the titles to the canons. On 22 May 1630, after having been numbered among the bishops assisting the papal throne (22 April 1630), he was elevated to the position of apostolic nuncio to Switzerland. Without renouncing his episcopal mandate, he reached his new residence in Lucerne. He held this office for nine years, until 3 May 1639. From that period is his work Helvetia profana et sacra, which deals with places, of the origins, of the qualities of the Swiss people, of the civil and military customs, with notes on the individual cantons and on the state of the Grisons and the Valais, as well as the bishoprics, the abbeys, the life and the religious condition in which the cantons found themselves facing the Catholic Church and the various currents of the innovators. Enrico Grassi notes how the Swiss nunciature represented nine years of religious and political unrest among a proud and rude people, who, without waging wars of their own, fought in the wars of others and were divided between Catholics and Protestants into factions and parties that fought among themselves with fury. he also recalls how Scotti Douglas generously wanted to leave noteworthy memories of art and faith of himself in Lucerne: thus he donated to the Swiss Republic one of the 67 paintings by Gaspare Meglinger which reproduce the dance of the dead in the Ponte dei Mulini. The painting presents Matteo Visconti in the foreground in the act of handing over the scepter to Alberto Scotti. Visconti is supported by a skeleton and another skeleton stands at Scotti's side. All around you can glimpse characters standing and on horseback and, clearly visible, the coats of arms and banners of the two families. The scene, suggested by Scotti Douglas to the German painter, refers to a historical episode. Alberto Scotti, founder of the family, was a valiant leader and lord of Piacenza for many years. First a friend and then an enemy of the Viscontis, in 1302 he waged war on Matteo Visconti. However, while the two armies were lined up against each other near Lodi, Matteo Visconti heard news of a revolt that had broken out in Milan against his own son Galeazzo. He then approached the Piacenza leader and handed over the dominion of the Milanese to him with the club of command. The following day Alberto Scotti entered the Lombard capital victorious. The painting, triangular in shape, bears the writing at the top: S. Fulcus Ep. Placentiae et Papie 1225 and at the base the following other legend: Odoardus Scotus Placentino Marchio Montalbi cum fratre Legato et toto domo Scota Reipublicae Luc. si hoc mortals type animum spondet immortalem. Year 1632. Another outstanding memory Scotti Douglas left in the mother church of San Leodègario, rebuilt by the Senate on the foundations of the ancient temple destroyed by a violent fire on Easter day of the year 1633.

Comment by J Ruaidri Douglas on October 9, 2023 at 9:22

SCOTTI DOUGLAS RANUZIO
Parma 19 July 1597-Piacenza 10 May 1661
He belonged to one of the oldest patrician families of Piacenza, whose original lineage, dating back to the mid-Middle Ages, was divided into the three main branches of Vigoleno, Sarmato and Fombio. Scotti Douglas was born to the Sarmatian count Orazio and the noblewoman Lucrezia Alciati, known for the sanctity of her life, a compendium of which was published in 1670 by Orazio Smeraldi. He was the eldest of six siblings, three boys and three girls. Of the former, Odoardo emerged in arms and politics, while Philip, after being a knight of Malta, became a Capuchin and died in the office of definer and guardian of the convent of Ferrara. His father, artillery general, valiant warrior and skilled diplomat, was appointed marquis of Montalbo by Ranuccio Farnese for the services rendered to the duke, where he was in Parma when Scotti Douglas was born, whom the duke himself wanted to baptize on 27 July 1597 in the church of Santa Cecilia, giving him his own name. Scotti Douglas cultivated the letters. He later devoted himself to the study of laws and was a jurist. Having embraced the ecclesiastical state, he began a rapid and brilliant career. Having obtained the trust of Pope Urban VIII, he appointed him referendum of both signatures, subsequently entrusting him with the government of some cities of the Church. He held the position of governor of Spoleto and was only thirty years old when the same pontiff, on 22 March 1627, raised him to the dignity of bishop of Borgo San Donnino. On 18 April of that year the Scotti Douglas was consecrated in Rome by Cardinal Tadia, after having taken possession of the diocese six days earlier through his procurator Antonio Maria Loffio. He entered Borgo San Donnino incognito on the night of the following 28th May and on the 30th he made his solemn entry into the Cathedral for the ritual ceremonies. His stay in the diocese was short and intermittent. By his own admission he had no genius for the care of souls and aspired to hold other offices. Nonetheless, in the two effective years that he held the Borghigian chair, he carried out the sacred pastoral visit, which began on 25 August 1627, and founded the canonries of San Clemente, Sant'Alessandro, Santa Margherita and Sant'Odoardo in the Cathedral. The initiative was suggested to Scotti Douglas by the need to increase the decorum of the Chapter in relation to the greater dignity of the Cathedral, which had been erected as a bishopric a few years ago. Taking advantage of his family's good relations with the ducal house of Parma, he convinced Duchess Margherita Aldobrandini, widow of Duke Ranuccio Farnese, to assign a large prebendal dowry to the archdeaconry, the archpriest and the aforementioned four canonries.

Comment by William Douglas on November 22, 2017 at 21:02

Thought to be his visiting card, held by the British Museum

Comment by William Douglas on November 22, 2017 at 21:01

Possibly this man: His Excellency Ranuccio Giuseppe Anguissola Douglas Scotti, Count and Lord of Rivergaro,

Giuseppina Anguissola Scotti (born Scotti Douglas dei Conti di Sarmato) married Ranuccio Anguissola Scotti.
They had one daughter: Anna Landi di Chiavenna (born Anguissola Scotti).

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