Nicolò Matafari

A native of Zadar and a lawyer by training, Matafari was appointed the vicar general of the diocese of Padua in 1320, 1345 and 1355.

In 1346–1351, he wrote the Thesaurus pontificum, a manual for the clergy that discusses a wide variety of liturgical duties.

[2] In 1320, Matafari was appointed vicar general of the diocese of Padua by Bishop Ildebrandino Conti, who was staying at the Avignonese curia.

[2] On 10 September 1333, on the recommendation of Cardinal Bertrand du Poujet, he was appointed archbishop of Zadar by Pope John XXII.

[2][4] As archbishop, Matafari held a local synod to resolve a dispute between the clergy of Zadar and those of Rab.

He supported the ambitions of King Louis I of Hungary and the autonomy of Zadar against the Republic of Venice.

[5] While Matafari was in exile, Venice asked Pope Clement VI to transfer him to a different see so that a pro-Venetian bishop could be installed in Zadar.

In 1351 and again in December 1357, Matafari's brother Demetrio was the vicar, indicating that he was probably still able to exercise some control over diocesan affairs.

In March 1355, he was present along with Raniero [it] and Argentino Arsendi [it] when a doctorate in civil law was conferred on Antonio Ardizzoni of Alessandria.

His canon law sources are Burchard of Worms, the Decretum Gratiani, the Decretals of Gregory IX, the Liber Sextus and the Constitutiones Clementinae.

He also used the Roman Pontifical, the Glossa Ordinaria, the Corpus Juris Civilis and the writings of Guillaume Durand.