André d'Espinay
André d'Espinay (died 1500) (called the Cardinal of Bordeaux of the Cardinal of Lyon) was a French Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal.
Biography
André d'Espinay was born in Champeaux, Ille-et-Vilaine, ca. 1451, the son of Richard d'Espinay (chamberlain to Francis II of Brittany) and Beatrix de Montauban.[1] He had two sisters and seven brothers, four of whom were also bishops - Robert, Jean senior, Jean junior and Guillaume. Their sister François d'Espinay became abbess of Saint-Georges de Rennes in 1485.
He became a licentiate in canon law.[1] After completing his education, he became a protonotary apostolic.[1] He also became a canon of the cathedral chapter of Bordeaux Cathedral.[1] He was next the Prior of the Priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs.[1] On April 10, 1479, he was elected Archbishop of Bordeaux; his election was confirmed by Pope Sixtus IV on April 28, 1479.[1] He took possession of the see in 1482 and occupied it until his death.[1]
Following the death of Louis XI of France in 1483, he traveled to Brittany to serve Charles VIII of France.[1] He attended the Assembly of the French clergy in 1485.[1] Under Charles VIII, he served as governor of Paris.[1] On October 1, 1488, he was named Archbishop of Lyon, occupying that see until his death, while also retaining the metropolitan see of Bordeaux.[1]
At the request of Charles VIII, Pope Innocent VIII made Espinay a cardinal priest in the consistory of March 9, 1489.[1] He received the red hat and the titular church of San Martino ai Monti on March 23, 1489.[1]
He returned to the Kingdom of France in 1490, becoming commendatory abbot of Holy Cross Abbey, Bordeaux, an office he held until 1499.[1]
He did not participate in the papal conclave of 1492 that elected Pope Alexander VI.[1] On November 1, 1492, the new pope named him papal legate to Charles VIII of France.[1] As such, the cardinal accompanied Charles VIII on his campaigns during the Italian War of 1494–1498, and was close to the king during the 1495 Battle of Fornovo.[1]
Returning to France, he served as apostolic administrator of the metropolitan see of Aix from October 1499 to May 1500.[1] He was also a benefactor of the Celestines.[1]
He died in the Château de la Tournelle in Paris on November 10, 1500.[1] He is buried in the Church of the Celestines in Paris.[1]