Michele Della Torre

Michele Della Torre (1511–1586) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal.

A member of the Della Torre family, Michele Della Torre was born in Udine in 1511, the son of nobleman Luigi della Torre and his wife Taddea Strasoldo.[1] He became Count of Valdessina in 1533.[1]

Early in his career, he was a cleric in Aquileia.[1] He later became the dean of Udine Cathedral.[1] In 1543, he became chamberlain of Pope Paul III.[1]

On 7 February 1547 he was elected Bishop of Ceneda and was subsequently consecrated as a bishop.[1] He served as the Apostolic Nuncio to France from 20 August 1547 to 1550.[1] He participated in the Council of Trent from 11 October 1551 until 28 April 1552 and from 10 October 1561 until its closing.[1] He was vice-legate in Perugia and Umbria from 15 September 1553 until June 1555.[1] From 23 May 1555 until 1557 he was the majordomo of the papal household.[1] Under Pope Pius IV, he was a Referendary of the Apostolic Signatura.[1] He was again nuncio in the Kingdom of France from 25 March 1566 until 12 August 1568.[1]

Pope Gregory XIII made him a cardinal priest in the consistory of 12 December 1583.[1] He never received the red hat or a titular church, nor did he participate in the papal conclave of 1585 that elected Pope Sixtus V.[1]

He died in Ceneda on 21 February 1586 and was buried in the cathedral there.[1]