sb. and a. Also 7 -an, -aine; 7 oltra-. [ad. med.L. ultrāmontān-us, f. L. ultrā beyond + mont-, mons mountain (sc. the Alps). So F. ultramontain (1323; also OF. outremontain, -an), Sp. and Pg. ultramontano, It. oltramontano; G. ultramontan, Du. -montaan. Cf. TRAMONTANE a. and sb.]
A. sb. 1. Eccl. Hist. a. A representative of the Roman Catholic Church north of the Alps as opposed to the ecclesiastics in Italy. Now rare.
1592. Bacon, Obs. Libel, in Resuscitatio (1657), 147. Those that know any Thing of the Respects of Conclaves, know, that he is not Papable: First, because he is an Vltramontane, of which sort, there hath been none, these Fifty years.
1620. Brent, trans. Sarpi’s Hist. Council of Trent, v. 463. The Cardinals saw no other meanes to oppose these attemp[t]s, but by sending a great number of Italian Prelats, who, being vnited together, will overcome all the Vltramontans.
1651. Life Father Sarpi, 157. The Oltramontanes … did greedily reade and receive whatsoever came abroade.
1769. Robertson, Chas. V., III. ¶ 46. Perhaps the cardinals durst not venture to provoke the people of Rome … by placing another ultra-montane on the papal throne.
1855. Milman, Lat. Chr., VI. 10. He [Pope Urban VI.] openly avowed his design to make so large a nomination [of cardinals] that the Italians should resume their ascendancy over the Ultramontanes.
b. A strong adherent or supporter of the Papal authority; an ultramontanist. (Cf. B. 1 b.)
In this connection the point of view is that of France or other countries north of the Alps.
1873. Spencer, Stud. Sociol., xii. (1874), 299. To the Ultramontane, holding that the temporal welfare no less than the eternal salvation of men depends on submission to the Church, it is incredible that Church-authority has but a transitory value.
1876. Gladstone, in Contemp. Rev., June 4. The most violent Ultramontane, the most determined Agnostic, may alike make excellent Erastians.
1882[?]. Tennyson, In Mem. W. G. Ward, 4. My friend, the most unworldly of mankind, Most generous of all Ultramontanes, Ward.
2. An inhabitant or native of a country north of the Alps.
c. 1618. Moryson, Itin., IV. (1903), 429. In Bologna … the Vltramontans and Citramontans are each governed by their owne Statutes.
1626. C. Potter, trans. Sarpi’s Hist. Quarrels, 331. The Venetians … resolued … to make ready all their Troupes, Italians and Albans, with some others of the Vltramontans.
1696. Phillips (ed. 5), s.v., The Italians call all on this side the Alpes, Ultra-montanes, or People living beyond the Alpes.
1730. A. Gordon, Maffei’s Amphith., 195. The Original was bought by some Ultramontane or another, and so published we know not by whom.
1851. Gallenga, Italy, II. iii. 74. Schiller was, of course, the best understood and appreciated of all the ultramontanes.
3. (See quot.)
1875. Dublin Mag., Sept., 317. A group of troubadours in the most northerly districts of Provence, who were called ‘Ultramontanes’ by the poets of the plains south of the Garonne and the Cevennes.
B. adj. 1. a. Of or belonging to, connected with, derived from, the countries or peoples lying to the north of the Alps.
c. 1618. Moryson, Itin., IV. (1903), 427. The Rector Vltramontane (that is of the nations beyond the Alps) must be chosen by the former yeares Rectour and by the newe Counselors.
1687. Lond. Gaz., No. 2209/2. An Officer in the service of the Duke of Savoy, has agreed with the Senate to raise 600 Ultramontaine Horse.
1829. Scott, Anne of G., xxx. Your speech smacks of the northern, or Norman French…. But you are a minstrel, perhaps, from these ultramontane parts.
1832. trans. Sismondi’s Ital. Rep., v. 128. Henry VII. departed from Pisa, commanding 2500 ultramontane and 1500 Italian cavalry.
1855. Milman, Lat. Chr., VI. 12. The Ultramontane Cardinals would not tamely abandon a power which had given them … the spiritual supremacy of the world for seventy years. Ibid., 19. The Pope’s courtiers of ultramontane birth or opinions.
b. Of, belonging to, or characteristic of, the Italian party in the Church of Rome; holding or implying extreme views in favor of the papal authority (Cf. A. 1 b.)
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Tramontan, The French Lawyers give the same Title of … Ultramontane Doctors to the Italian Canonists … who go upon Rules and Maxims, too favourable to the Court of Rome.
1819. Helen M. Williams, Lett. France, 100. Nations are tired of those ultra-montane mysteries.
1846. G. Oliver, Monast. Dioec. Exon., 424, note. A papal bull settled the question respecting the capacity of the mendicant orders to purchase in a manner eminently ultramontane.
1873–4. Dixon, Two Queens, XIII. v. III. 27. The ultra-montane school of canonists asserted, that a pope had power to publish such an act.
transf. 1899. T. G. Selby, Unheeding God, xi. 201. Some of his [Darwin’s] most fervent disciples no longer adopt that ultramontane attitude.
2. In general sense: Situated beyond, belonging to the other side of, the mountains.
1786. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), I. 587. How may the ultramontane territory be disposed of so as to produce the greatest … benefit to the inhabitants of the maritime States of the Union?
1809. A. Henry, Trav., 325. They were in possession of several ultramontane prisoners, two of whom we purchased.
