ESTOUTEVILLE, GUILLAUME D'

Cardinal, diplomat; b. c. 1412; d. Rome, Jan. 22, 1483. He was canon of St.-Maurice of Angers and apostolic notary when eugene iv conferred the bishopric of Angers on him (Feb. 20, 1439). The king of France, Charles VII, would not allow such a derogation of the terms of the pragmatic sanction of Bourges (1438) and canonically recognized the man elected by the chapter of the cathedral, Jean Michel. Angered by the king's action, Eugene IV made Guillaume a cardinal (1439). pius ii translated him to the See of Porto (1459), then to Ostia (1461). The Holy See heaped benefices upon him and granted him in commendam several bishoprics, especially the Archbishopric of Rouen (1453). nicholas v sent him into France in 1451 as legate a latere with the official mandate to work toward the signing of a peace between France and England, but actually he hoped that Guillaume could induce Charles VII to abrogate the Pragmatic Sanction. Charles, however, categorically refused. Guillaume persuaded Charles to open a trial for the reinstatement of joan of arc and presided personally over the preliminary investigation, May 2 to 3, 1452. He was also able to force the University of paris to alter its system of teaching and discipline (Chartularium universitatis Parisiensis, ed. H. Denifle and E. Chatelain, 5:713). Thanks to Guillaume's mediation (October 1452), the negotiations between France and Savoy were successful. He managed to effect a detente in the persistently stormy relations between the Dauphin of Viennois and Venaissin County. After his return to Rome (January 1453) he went to Rouen (July 18, 1454). In 1455 he was back in Rome. Out of his wealth he gave liberal gifts to many churches.

Bibliography: g. du f. beaucourt, Histoire de Charles VII, v.5 (Paris 1896) 189–219, 353–389. g. bourgin, "Les Cardinaux français et le diaire Caméral de 1439–1486," Mélanges d'archeologie et d'histoire 24 (1904) 277–316. p. ourliac, "La Pragmatique Sanction et la légation en France du cardinal d'Estouteville (1451–1453)," ibid. 55 (1938) 402–432. n. valois, Histoire de la Pragmatique Sanction de Bourges sous Charles VII (Paris 1906) 223–227. w. schÜrmeyer, Das Kardinalkollegium unter Pius II (Berlin 1914). p. doncoeur and y. lanhers, eds. and trs., La Réhabilitation de Jeanne la Pucelle, 2 v. (Paris 1956–58),v.1 L'Enquête ordonnée par Charles VII en 1450, v.2 L'Enquête du cardinal d'Estouteville en 1452. g. mollat, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillart et al. (Paris 1912–) 15:1080–82.

[g. mollat]