# Pope Julius II _Pope of the Catholic Church from 1503 to 1513 (1443–1513)_ Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/pope-julius-ii Last updated: 2026-11-03 > Pope Julius II (Latin: Iulius II; Italian: Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 1443 – 21 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and leader of the Papal States from 1503 to his death, in February 1513. ## Quick facts - **Born:** 5 December 1443 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80516#P569)) - **Place of birth:** Albisola Superiore ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80516#P19)) - **Died:** 21 February 1513 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80516#P570)) - **Place of death:** Rome ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80516#P20)) - **Citizenship:** Republic of Genoa ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80516#P27)) - **Occupation:** Catholic priest ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80516#P106)) - **Education:** University of Perugia ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80516#P69)) - **Positions held:** Pope (11 November 1503 – 21 February 1513); apostolic administrator (24 January 1502 – 1 November 1503); apostolic administrator (6 November 1499 – 29 August 1501); Roman Catholic Bishop of Savona (20 September 1499 – 24 January 1502); Roman Caholic Bishop of Bologna (3 November 1483 – 24 January 1502); cardinal-bishop of Ostia (31 January 1483 – 1 November 1503); Cardinal-Bishop of Velletri-Segni (31 January 1483 – 1 November 1503); Cardinal Bishop of Sabina (Vescovio) (19 April 1479 – 31 January 1483); Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals (8 January 1479 – 7 January 1480); Roman Catholic Bishop of Mende (1478–1483); bishop of Viviers (3 December 1477 – 3 July 1478); Archpriest of the Saint John Lateran Basilica (1477–1503); Roman Catholic Bishop of Coutances (15 July 1476 – 3 December 1477); Major Penitentiary (1476–1503); Archbishop of Avignon (21 November 1475 – 1 November 1503); Cardinal-priest Ss. XII Apostoli (1475–1503); Roman Catholic Bishop of Avignon (23 May 1474 – 21 November 1475); bishop of Catania (13 January 1473 – 23 May 1474); apostolic administrator (1473–1474); bishop of Lausanne (31 January 1472 – 15 July 1476); Abbot of Montserrat (1472–1483); cardinal priest of Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens (22 December 1471 – 1 November 1503); Roman Catholic Bishop of Carpentras (16 October 1471 – 31 January 1472); cardinal-nephew ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80516#P39)) ## About Nicknamed the Warrior Pope, the Battle Pope or the Fearsome Pope, it is often speculated that he had chosen his papal name not in honour of Pope Julius I but in emulation of Julius Caesar. One of the most powerful and influential popes, Julius II was a central figure of the High Renaissance and left a significant cultural and political legacy. As a result of his policies during the Italian Wars, the Papal States increased their power and centralization, and the office of the papacy continued to be crucial, diplomatically and politically, during the entirety of the 16th century in Italy and Europe. In 1506, Julius II established the Vatican Museums and initiated the rebuilding of the St. Peter's Basilica. The same year he organized the famous Swiss Guard for his personal protection and commanded a successful campaign in Romagna against local lords. The interests of Julius II lay also in the New World, as he ratified the Treaty of Tordesillas, establishing the first bishoprics in the Americas and beginning the Catholicization of Latin America. In 1508, he commissioned the Raphael Rooms and Michelangelo's paintings in the Sistine Chapel. Pope Julius II allowed people seeking indulgences to donate money to the Church, which would be used for the construction of Saint Peter's Basilica. He was fiercely satirized after his death by Erasmus of Rotterdam in Julius Excluded from Heaven, in which the drunken pope, denied entry to heaven by St. Peter, justifies his worldly life and plots to create a rival abode from which to conquer heaven. ## Questions **When was Pope Julius II born?** Pope Julius II was born on 5 December 1443 in Albisola Superiore. **What positions has Pope Julius II held?** Positions held by Pope Julius II include: Pope (1503–1513); apostolic administrator (1502–1503); apostolic administrator (1499–1501); Roman Catholic Bishop of Savona (1499–1502); Roman Caholic Bishop of Bologna (1483–1502). **Where did Pope Julius II study?** Pope Julius II was educated at University of Perugia. ## Related - [Pope Telesphorus](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-telesphorus) - [Pope Gregory XIII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-gregory-xiii) - [Pope Clement VII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-clement-vii) - [Pope Pius I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-pius-i) - [Pope Boniface I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-boniface-i) - [Pope Agapetus I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-agapetus-i) - [Pope Paul II](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-paul-ii) - [Pope Pius II](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-pius-ii) - [Pope Alexander VI](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-alexander-vi) - [Pope Paul III](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-paul-iii) - [Michael Dixon Bhasera](https://diginpl.com/people/michael-dixon-bhasera) ## Sources - [Wikipedia (English): Pope Julius II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Julius_II) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) - [Wikidata item Q80516](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80516) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) - [Image: Pope Julius II.jpg by Raphael (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pope_Julius_II.jpg) ## Licence and attribution Text from the Wikipedia article Pope Julius II, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Pope Julius II.jpg — Raphael, Public domain. ## Cite this page "Pope Julius II". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/pope-julius-ii. Retrieved 4 November 2026.