Mons. Giulio Cesare Guarnieri
(Campagna, 1550 - Rome 1607)
He was born in Campagna in 1550 from the doctor Luigi Guarnieri and from Cornelia De Riccardis, brother of Francescantonio, Vincenzo, Giacomantonio and Ambrogio. Of the five brothers only Giacomantonio did not have a monastic life.
After specializing in canon and civil law, he embarked on an ecclesiastical career becoming first Canon and then Primicerio of the Cathedral Chapter 1 .
On 19 July 1591 he was elected bishop of our diocese, after having been vicar of Mgr Scarappi for years. The latter died and, at first appointed Domenico Flaminio Roverelle (who gave up), it was decided to give pastoral continuity by giving our fellow countryman the task of guiding the diocese, thus boasting the honor and the burden of having been the only one campagnese to reach this goal.
This operation could probably be carried out also thanks to the friendship of Mons. Marco Lauro, already esteemed Secretary of the Council of Trent, related to Guarnieri thanks to the marriage between the sister of the bishop Tropeano and Giacomantanio, brother of Julius Caesar.
Having become head of the country church, he worked tirelessly to consolidate and promote the moral growth of the diocese. On 11 June 1593 he was the promoter of the rebirth of the brotherhood of the SS. Name of God and on 14 September 1593, on the occasion of the day of the Adoration of the Cross, he was appointed first prior.
Always a supporter of the Dominican congregation of San Bartolomeo, he did a lot for its growth and on January 15, 1594 he approved its statute leaving even two of his precious reliquaries: a thorn from the crown of Jesus, still kept today, and a fragment of the Holy Cross .
He lived his last years of life with a troubled soul due to the sudden death of his nephew Luigi while he was traveling with him to Rome. He died in 1607 and was buried, for some in the cathedral of Santa Maria della Pace, for others in the church of Sant'Antonino in the Zappino district.
Text by Cristian Viglione.
Revisions: Francesco Pezzuti.
READING LIST:
1. Valentino Izzo - Telling the Campaign ... Illustrious people. Vol. P - Year 2005
