Rizzardi, Angelo

Dizionario di eretici, dissidenti e inquisitori nel mondo mediterraneo
Edizioni CLORI | Firenze | ISBN 978-8894241600 | DOI 10.5281/zenodo.1309444


Angelo Rizzardi (Rizzardini), died in 1532, was a dominican inquisitor.

He was born in Savigliano and entered the Order of Preachers in the convent of S. Giovanni Battista in Saluzzo. Then he studied at the University of Pavia, where he finally graduated as master of theology (1489). He was admitted in the college of doctors of the theological faculty of the University of Pavia and continued to teach at this univeristy during 1490s, with a brief interruption in 1494-96, when he had returned to Saluzzo.

Rizzardi's career in Pavia was brought to an end by his conflict with another dominican friar Vincenzo Dodo da Pavia. Rizzardi was unable to prove some unspecified charges against him and, as a result, he had to return to Saluzzo (1498). Later he was moved to the convent of Alba (1502). In 1501, he published in print Summa contra gentiles by S. Tommaso d'Aquino.

On 20 May 1505 he was named inquisitor of Casale Monferrato, with jurisdiction over all marquisate Monferrato, which comprised also the dioceses of Casale, Alba and Acqui. Few years later, in 1509 he joined the observant Congregation of Lombardy and on 9 July 1509 Master General Tommaso de Vio appointed him inquisitor of the March of Saluzzo, dismissing him from inquisitorate in Monferrato. In November 1509 he initiated an investigation against the inhabitants of Paesana, who were supposed to be heretical Waldensians. However, these proceedings were largely unsuccessful, despite the assistance of the regent of the March of Saluzzo Margerita de Foix. Most of the suspects were able to flee. Rizzardi captured only sixteen Waldensians, and five of them flew away before their executions could have been carried out. Of the remaining eleven, five were burned and six were banished. Their properties were confiscated.

The testimonies extracted from suspects have been used by Rizzardi to compose the catalogue of the heretical beliefs of Waldensians, titled Errores Valdensium in Paesana commorantium.

Rizzardi's inquisitorial activities came to an abrupt end in June 1510, when he was dismissed by the Master General and replaced with Agostino Maggio. This probably was a consequence of his decision to abandon the Congregation of Lombardy and to return to the conventual Province of Saint Peter Martyr. In 1513, he was ascribed to the convent of Savigliano, which belonged to this Province.

In 1525 Rizzardi was appointed inquisitor of Savigliano and occupied that post until his death seven years later.

Bibliography

  • Michael Tavuzzi: Renaissance Inquisitors. Dominican Inquisitors and Inquisitorial Districts in Northern Italy, 1474–1527. Leiden – Boston: BRILL, 2007, p. 129-137.

Article written by Tomasz Karlikowski | Ereticopedia.org © 2014

et tamen e summo, quasi fulmen, deicit ictos
invidia inter dum contemptim in Tartara taetra
invidia quoniam ceu fulmine summa vaporant
plerumque et quae sunt aliis magis edita cumque

[Lucretius, "De rerum natura", lib. V]

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