First Ascanio della Corgna came under suspicion. He was general of the papal cavalry, and was actually suspected of being loyal to the Emperor. Paul IV had him sent to the Castel S. Angelo, along with his brother, Cardinal della Corgna (27 July 1556). Both were nephews of Pope Julius III. The cardinal had been Administrator of the Diocese of Spoleto on the appointment of Julius III, but Paul IV immediately replaced him with Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. The charge against the cardinal that brought him to the Castel S. Angelo was that he had attempted to open communications with Philip II of Spain. The pressure of Spanish victories in Lombardy and Tuscany, however, forced their release.