Giovanni Boccamazza

Who was Giovanni Boccamazza?

Giovanni Boccamazza was an Italian Cardinal. He was from the Roman nobility, related to the Savelli family and was a nephew of Pope Honorius IV.

He was made bishop of Monreale, near Palermo, in 1278, and was there at the time of the Sicilian Vespers. After fleeing Sicily., he was made cardinal-bishop of Frascati on 22 December in 1285, by Honorius IV.

He was then sent as a papal legate to northern Europe. He attended the significant synod of March 1287 in Würzburg, considered as a German national council.

He participated in five papal conclaves, which saw the elections of popes Nicholas IV in 1288, Celestine V in 1294, Boniface VIII in 1294, Benedict XI in 1303 and Clement V in 1305. He became dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals in 1302.