# Pope Pius VII

_Head of the Catholic Church, ruler of the Papal States from 1800 to 1823 (1742–1823)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/pope-pius-vii
Last updated: 2026-11-03

> Pope Pius VII (Italian: Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823) was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He was the leader of the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again from 1814 to his death. Chiaramonti was also a monk of the Order of Saint Benedict in addition to being a well-known theologian and bishop.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 14 August 1742 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124754#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Cesena ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124754#P19))
- **Died:** 20 August 1823 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124754#P570))
- **Place of death:** Rome ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124754#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Papal States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124754#P27))
- **Occupation:** Catholic priest; Catholic bishop; Latin Catholic monk ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124754#P106))
- **Spouse:** celibacy ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124754#P26))
- **Positions held:** Pope (14 March 1800 – 20 August 1823); cardinal (since 14 February 1785); Roman Catholic Bishop of Imola (14 February 1785 – 8 March 1816); Roman Catholic Bishop of Tivoli (since 16 December 1782) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124754#P39))

## About

Chiaramonti was made Bishop of Tivoli in 1782, and resigned that position upon his appointment as Bishop of Imola in 1785. That same year, he was made a cardinal. In 1789, the French Revolution took place, and as a result a series of anti-clerical governments came into power in the country. In 1798, during the French Revolutionary Wars, French troops under Louis-Alexandre Berthier invaded Rome and captured Pope Pius VI, taking him as a prisoner to France, where he died in 1799. The following year, after a sede vacante period lasting approximately six months, Chiaramonti was elected to the papacy, taking the name Pius VII.

Pius at first attempted to take a cautious approach in dealing with Napoleon. With him he signed the Concordat of 1801, through which he succeeded in guaranteeing religious freedom for Catholics living in France, and was present at his coronation as Emperor of the French in 1804. In 1809, however, during the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon once again invaded the Papal States, resulting in his excommunication through the papal bull Quum memoranda. Pius VII was taken prisoner and transported to France. He remained there until 1814 when, after the French were defeated, he was permitted to return to Italy, where he was greeted warmly as a hero and defender of the faith.

Pius lived the remainder of his life in relative peace. His papacy saw a significant growth of the Catholic Church in the United States, where Pius established several new dioceses. Pius…

## Questions

**When was Pope Pius VII born?**  
Pope Pius VII was born on 14 August 1742 in Cesena.

**What positions has Pope Pius VII held?**  
Positions held by Pope Pius VII include: Pope (1800–1823); cardinal (since 14 February 1785); Roman Catholic Bishop of Imola (1785–1816); Roman Catholic Bishop of Tivoli (since 16 December 1782).

## 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 Hormisdas](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-hormisdas)
- [Pope Innocent VIII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-innocent-viii)
- [Pope Alexander VIII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-alexander-viii)
- [Pope Innocent X](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-innocent-x)
- [Pope Pius IX](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-pius-ix)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Pope Pius VII](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Pius_VII) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q124754](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124754) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Jacques-Louis David 018.jpg by Jacques-Louis David (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacques-Louis_David_018.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Pope Pius VII, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Jacques-Louis David 018.jpg — Jacques-Louis David, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Pope Pius VII". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/pope-pius-vii. Retrieved 5 November 2026.