Niccolò Caetani
Italian cardinal
Niccolò Caetani di Sermoneta (1526–1585) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal and bishop.
Biography
Niccolò Caetani was born in Rome on 23 February 1526, the son of Camillo Caetani, 3rd duke of Sermoneta, a cousin of Pope Paul III, and his second wife, Flaminia Savelli. His families were patricians from Naples. He was the uncle of Cardinal Enrico Caetani.
At the age of 10, Pope Paul III made him a cardinal deacon in pectore in the consistory of 22 December 1536. On 5 March 1537, he became administrator of the Diocese of Bisignano. His elevation to the cardinalate was published in the consistory of 13 March 1538; he received the red hat and the deaconry of San Nicola in Carcere on 16 April 1538.
On 8 August 1539, he was elected Bishop of Conza. He was promoted to the metropolitan see of Capua on 5 May 1546. He resigned the administration of Bisignano on 13 March 1549.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Niccolò Caetani” as italian cardinal. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as italian cardinal. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2255652. VIAF identifies the subject as 9029148269713405230009. 3 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1526, 1585, 1536 and 1537.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Niccolò Caetani”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Niccolò Caetani primary sources, Niccolò Caetani archive and Niccolò research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Niccolò Caetani”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Niccolò Caetani” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.