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Pope Leo X
Francesco Bini · Public domain
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Pope Leo X

Pope from 1513 to 1521 (1475-1521)

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Pope Leo X (Italian: Leone X; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 1475 – 1 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and leader of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521.

Quick facts

Born
wd
Place of birth
Florence wd
Died
wd
Place of death
Rome wd
Citizenship
Papal States wd
Occupation
Latin Catholic priest, Catholic priest wd
Education
University of Pisa wd

Positions held wd

  • Pope (19 March 1513 – 1 December 1521)
  • apostolic administrator (9 December 1510 – 9 March 1513)
  • cardinal protodeacon (29 November 1503 – 9 March 1513)
  • apostolic administrator (27 October 1503 – 27 May 1504)
  • cardinal-deacon (26 March 1489 – 9 March 1513)
  • abbot (1487–1495)
  • abbot of Monte Cassino (1486–1504)
  • protonotary apostolic

About

Born into the prominent political and banking Medici family of Florence, Giovanni was the second son of Lorenzo de' Medici, the de-facto ruler of the Florentine Republic, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1489. Following the death of Pope Julius II, Giovanni was elected pope after securing the backing of the younger members of the College of Cardinals. Early on in his rule he oversaw the closing sessions of the Fifth Council of the Lateran, but struggled to implement the reforms agreed. In 1517 he led a costly war that succeeded in securing his nephew Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici as Duke of Urbino, but reduced papal finances.

In Protestant circles, Leo is associated with granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica, a practice that was soon challenged by Martin Luther's 95 Theses. Leo rejected the Protestant Reformation, and his Papal bull of 1520, Exsurge Domine, condemned Luther's condemnatory stance, rendering ongoing communication difficult.

He borrowed and spent money without circumspection and was a significant patron of the arts. Under his reign, Marco Girolamo Vida began composing at the Pope's request a Virgilian Latin epic poem about the life of Jesus called the Christiad, progress was made on the rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica, and artists such as Raphael decorated the Vatican rooms. Leo also reorganised the Roman University, and promoted Renaissance humanist study of literature, poetry, and Classics. He died in 1521 and is buried in Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome. As of 2026, he remains the most recent pope not to have been in priestly orders at the time of his election to the papacy.

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Questions

When was Pope Leo X born?
Pope Leo X was born on 11 December 1475 in Florence.
What positions has Pope Leo X held?
Positions held by Pope Leo X include: Pope (1513–1521); apostolic administrator (1510–1513); cardinal protodeacon (1503–1513); apostolic administrator (1503–1504); cardinal-deacon (1489–1513).
Where did Pope Leo X study?
Pope Leo X was educated at University of Pisa.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (English): Pope Leo X · CC BY-SA 4.0
  2. Wikidata item Q49237 · CC0 1.0
  3. Image: Raffaello, ritratto di papa leone X tra i cardinali luigi de' rossi e giulio de' medici, 1518, 03.jpg by Francesco Bini (Public domain)

Last updated · facts checked 4 November 2026

Cite this page

"Pope Leo X". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/pope-leo-x. Retrieved 4 November 2026.

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Text from the Wikipedia article Pope Leo X, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Raffaello, ritratto di papa leone X tra i cardinali luigi de' rossi e giulio de' medici, 1518, 03.jpg — Francesco Bini, Public domain.

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