of textual criticism to the Church Fathers. In 1496 he re-
turned to Magdalen College, Oxford, where he introduced
the study of Greek. In 1499 he met ERASMUSat Oxford,
subsequently exercising considerable influence on the lat-
ter’s approach to the study of the Bible. In 1505 Henry VII
made him dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, and in
1509 he established St. Paul’s School, the largest Renais-
sance school to be founded in England. In his foundation
statutes Colet decreed that “There shall be taught in the
scole children of all nacions and contres indifferently...”
Such racial and religious tolerance was remarkable in
16th-century England. Colet’s approach to the Scriptures
was to interpret them as living literature, going directly to
the text rather than engaging in the mystical allegorization
characteristic of Florentine Platonism.
Further reading: Sears Jayne, John Colet and Marsilio
Ficino (Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1963).
Coligny, Admiral Gaspard de Châtillon (1519–1572)
French Huguenot leader in the Wars of Religion
He served in Italy and was colonel-general of the infantry
before his appointment as admiral of France (1552).
While a prisoner of war of Spain (1557–59), after the
French defeat at ST-QUENTIN, Coligny converted to Calvin-
ism. He endeavored to reach a compromise with the
French monarchy, but after 1569 became the most impor-
tant HUGUENOTmilitary leader. Although defeated by the
Catholic forces at the battle of Poitou in August 1570, Col-
igny managed to secure a reasonable compromise settle-
ment under the treaty of St.-Germain the following year.
He obtained considerable influence over the young king
Charles IX, displacing the Catholic Guise faction at court,
but his attempts to persuade Charles to send troops to the
aid of the Dutch Protestants in their struggle against Spain
alienated Charles’s mother and former regent CATHERINE
DE’ MEDICI. The GUISE FAMILY, who blamed Coligny for the
assassination of Francis, Duke of Guise in 1563, made a
botched assassination attempt on Coligny on August
22, 1572 and two days later ensured that he was one of
the first Huguenots to die in the MASSACRE OF ST.
BARTHOLOMEW.
Colleoni, Bartolommeo (1400–1475) Italian condottiere
Born near Bergamo, Colleoni first fought (1419) as a con-
dottiere in southern Italy under the leadership of Braccio
da Montone and then Muzio Attendolo (see SFORZA FAM-
ILY). Colleoni served Venice on several occasions after
1431 and was highly esteemed for his skillful use of light
field artillery. Anxious to retain the loyalty of such an able
soldier, Venice made Colleoni its commander-in-chief
(1454) and paid him lavishly. Colleoni lived luxuriously
in his castle of Malpaga near Bergamo, where he received
condottieri and also extended to artists and men of letters
a cordial welcome that earned him a reputation as a patron
of the arts. The famous bronze EQUESTRIAN MONUMENTof
Colleoni in Venice was created by VERROCCHIOin 1485–88.Colman family See HELMSCHMIED FAMILYColocci, Angelo (1474–1547) Italian humanist
Colocci was born at Iesi and from 1497 was a papal secre-
tary, first to Leo X and then to Clement VII. According to
Pomponius LETO, Colocci was the true inspiration of
Roman humanism. In 1537 he was made bishop of Nocera
Umbra. He combined an interest in classical literature
with a lively involvement in vernacular poetry, particu-
larly the study of the origins of Italian poetry in Provence.
He was himself a poet in both Latin and Italian and his
house in Rome was a center for the discussion of literary
theory and scholarship. He collected manuscripts and in-
scriptions but his collections suffered in the sack of Rome
(1527). The surviving manuscripts are now in the Vatican
library but the collection of inscriptions was dispersed.
Colocci is a good example of the humanists’ ability to rec-
oncile the demands of religious orthodoxy with allegiance
to the values of the classical world.Colombe, Michel (1430/35–c. 1515) French sculptor
Born in Brittany, Colombe was a member of a family of
artists and brother of the miniaturist Jean Colombe (died
1529), who is associated with the Apocalypse manuscript
in the Escorial (1482) and the completion of Les Très
Riches Heures du duc de Berry (1485; Chantilly). Little is
known of his early years, from which no works survive,
and he is celebrated chiefly for just two sculptures. His
masterpiece is the tomb (1502–07) of Francis II of Brit-
tany and Marguerite de Foix in Nantes, with allegorical
figures; his other work is the marble relief of St. George
and the dragon (1508–09; Louvre, Paris) for the altarpiece
of the château de Gaillon. The former of these works was
designed by the sculptor Jean Perréal and also worked on
by Girolamo da Fiesole; both works demonstrate
Colombe’s successful combination of the French Gothic
style with the artistic ideals of the Italians.Colonia, Simón de (died c. 1511) Spanish architect of
German extraction
His father Juan (died 1481) came to Burgos in the 1440s
and built the spires at the western end of the cathedral,
and Simón succeeded his father in the post of master of
the works there. His two chief monuments are the octag-
onal Capilla del Condestable (1482–94) at Burgos and the
facade of the church of San Pablo, Valladolid (1490–
1504), both in the early PLATERESQUEstyle. Simón’s son
Francisco (died c. 1542) collaborated with him at Val-
ladolid and succeeded him as master of works at Burgos
(1511).Colonna, Francesco See HYPNEROTOMACHIA POLIFILI11110 0 CCoolliiggnnyy,, AAddmmiirraall GGaassppaarrdd ddee CChhaaîî ttiilllloonn