Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/135

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USOLXRO 108 UBOLERO

ta the vicinity. Extensive ruins of megalithic struo in view, founded (1617) the Order of the Christian

tares in its territory prove that it was inhabited at a Militia. Pdre Joseph even wrote an epic poem on this

very remote period. It was known to the ancients as subject, *' La Turciade. " But the conflict between the

Lupise, and then had a port, enlarged by Hadrian and Habsburgs and the Bourbons, as well as the new

Marcus Aurelius. Near Lecce is the village of Rugge, prospects of the Mantuan succession open to Qiarles

the ancient Rudiee, birthplace of Enniu& In the de Nevers caused the crusade scheme to fail. Pdre

time of the Normans, Lecce became the seat of a Joseph then became Richelieu's confidential political

countship, some of its counts being famous, notably agent, hoping that, with the Bourbons victorious, and

Tiuicred (d. 1194), who contested with Heniy YI the peace established in Europe, it would finally be possi-

Kin^om of the Two Sicilies, and Gautier de Brienne, ble to march against the Turks. His scheme was to

cousm of Tancred. Under Charles V, to whom a tri- weaken both the Protestants and the House of Aus-

umphal arch was erected in the city, Lecce received tria, both of whom he considered enemies of the peace

new life, and the features of that epoch arc retained to of Europe. He wished France to use the Protestants

this day. For this reason Lecce is one of those cities to weaken the House of Austria, and the House of

that have preserved a characteristic and uniform style Austria to weaken the Protestants,

of architecture. Of the more ancient buildings there Richelieu sent him to Rome in 1625, to negotiate

remains only the church of SS. Nicola and Cataldo, regardmg the rival claims of the Orisons and Spain in

outside the city, in Romanesque style (1180). Valtellina. In 1630 he was sent to the Diet of Ratis-

The cathedral of S. Oronzio (first built in 1114 by bon to give quiet support to the opposition of the

Goffredo d'Alta villa), in its present form, and the German princes to the claims of Emperor Ferdinand,

church of S. Domenico are of the seventeenth century, and to strengthen the bonds of alliance between

S. Croce of the dxteenth — all in baroque style. The France and the Elector Maximilian of Bavaria, head

cathedral tower is about 240 feet high, and serves yet of the Catholic League. On the morrow of the Diet of

as a lighthouse for ships plying between Otranto and Ratisbon, Germany was divided between a powerless

BrindisL Until the beginning of the nineteenth cen- emperor and two parties, one Catholic, the other Prot-

tury there was a signal on its summit to give warning estant, both equally hostile to the empire. Pdre

of pirate ships. The Palazzo dclla Intendenza, once Joseph laboured to obtain the neutrality of the Duke

the abbey of the Celestines, is noteworthy. Mention of Bavaria and of the Catholic League m view of the

must also be made of the manufacture of tobacco in invasion of Gustavus Adolphus, protector of the

the ancient Dominican convent. The historian Scip- Protestants; he even had hopes of forming an alliance

ione Ammirati and the painter Matteo da Lecce (six- between Maximilian and Gustavus Adoljmus. After

teenth century) were natives of Lecce. The Christian the death of Gustavus Adolphus war became inevita-

religion, it is said, was first introduced by St. Oron- able between France and the Habsburgs, and it broke

tins, a Pythagorean philosopher converted by St. out in 1635. Henceforth instead of pressing on Riche-

Pai^. St. Leucius is also venerated as bishop and lieu his own broad political views, P^re Joseph was

martyr. But a bishop of Lecce is first mentioned in content to support the makeshift policy imposed b^

1057, in the person of Teodoro Bonsecolo. Other circumstances on the cardinal. The desire for tem-

bishops of note were Roberto Vultorico (1214), who torial expansion, which at that time governed French

restored the cathedral; Tommaso Anmiirati (1429); policy, was Richelieu's rather than P^re Joseph's.

Ugolino Martelli (1511), a linguist; Giambattista Cas- The latter however, eagerly followed the progress of

tromediani (1544), wno founded the hospital and the French troops and, in the cardinal's name, kept up

other institutions for children and the poor; Luigi an active correspondence with the generals and min-

Pappacoda (1639), who rebuilt the cathedral, which isters. Tradition represents the cardinal as bending

contains his statue in marble; Antonio Pignatelli over his dyin^ friena and saying to him: '*P^re Jo-

(1672), later Innocent XII, who founded the seminary seph, Brisach is ours ". As a matter of fact the taking

of Lecce. of Brisach, which occurred on 17 Dec, 1638, could not

The diocese has 32 parishes with 100,000 souls, 8 have been known in Paris on the next morning, the

religious houses of men and 16 of women, 10 schools date of the death of Pdre Joseph; but the tradition

for Dovs, and 6 for girls. such as it is, svmbolizes the close bond which patri-

D» SiMONE. Lecce ei svoidintomi (Lecce, 1874); Cappei/- otism created between these two men.

MTO. Le Chtese d Italia, XXI. Benioni ^^^*^® *^® religious idea of a crusade inspired the

secular policy of Pdre Joseph, intense sacerdotal and

Lederc da Tremblay, Fran(X)is, a Capuchin, Apostolic zeal characterizea him amid all his political better known as Pi:RE Joseph, b. in Paris, 4 Nov., preoccupations. At his suggestion d'Orl^ans-Longue- 1577; d. at Rueil, 18 Dec., 1638. Owing to the influ- ville reformed the Benedictine Order at Fontevrault ence of his kinsman the Constable de Montmorency, he and founded the congregation of Our Lady of Calvwy, appeared at court at the age of eighteen with the title of for whose nuns he wrot« many books of pietjr. He Baron de Maffliers, and served in the armies of Henry opposed, even more openly than Richelieu, Richer's IV against Spain. On 2 Feb., 1599 he became a C^lican doctrines. Pere Joseph also founded Capu- Capuchin novice. He was provincial of the Capuchins chin missions for the conversion of Protestants, in of Touraine in Sept., 1613, and took part in 1616 in the Poitou, Dauphin^, the Cevennes, Languedoc, Pro- negotiations of Loudun between Marie de Medicis and vence, and later in the East. The sending of P^re the malcontents led by the Prince de Cond^. To the Pacifique to Constantinople in 1624, with the title of future Cardinal de Richelieu he furnished the oppor- "Prefect of Eastern Missions" was the beginning of tunity of a conference with Cond^, the first service vast spiritual conquests by the Capuchins in the rendered by Richelieu to Marie de MedicLs and to the Archipelago, the Greek peninsula, and Asia Minor. State. In this way Pdre Joseph appears at the opening From Paris Pdre Joseph directed this work, and in of Richelieu's political career. The r61e of Pdre 1633 there were ten Eastern missions. It was he also Joseph has recently been studied anew by Abb6 De- who, in 1633^ sent Pdre Agathange of Venddme to douvres and M. Fagniez. Their researches prove that found a mission in Egypt; this same father in 1637 Pdre Joseph remained true to the medieval idea of attempted but in vain to establish a mission in Abys- Christendom. He had visions of a crusade that would sinia; finally Pdre Joseph tried, but unsuccessfully, to combine all Europe, and the purpose of his visit to establish a mission of French Capuchins in Morocco. Home in 1616 was to discuss with Paul V the schemes Faqnik*. LeP. Joaeph et Richelieu (2 vob.. Paris. 1894); Db-

of the Duke of Neverg^ who wasplanning to unite W^,;Sr!h^)f-i'^^^^srh^;i'^cS:S::^'i^:i^^^

against the Turks the Mamots of Morea and the Slav Marie, LePheJoteph et U SacrfCceur (Angera. 1899).

Iiopulations of the Balkans, and with this enterprise Georges Qotau.