“A vulgo amabatur, a magnatibus vero habebatur in odio”. Adrian VI through the Eyes of his Fellow Countryman Cornelius de Fine

In his Ephemerides Historicae, a hitherto little used diary, Cornelius de Fine covers his adventures in Rome from 1511 to 1548. Through his eyes, we look at Pope Adrian’s pontificate. De Fine ventures sympathy for his fellow countryman, and speaks positively about his character, attributing his foredoomed failure to the slowness and inaptness of his inexperienced Dutch employees. The main object of De Fines criticism is Willem van Enkenvoirt, the cardinal that Adrian appointed on his deathbed, envisaged by many as the head of the papal administration.