# Pope Victor III

_Head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1086 to 1087_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/pope-victor-iii
Last updated: 2026-11-04

> Pope Victor III, born Dauferio Epifani Del Zotto, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 May 1086 to his death. He was the successor of Pope Gregory VII. Prior to becoming pope he had held the important post of abbot of the great monastery of Montecassino, under his monastic name of Desiderius and during those years played a historically important role.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 1027 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q227724#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Benevento ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q227724#P19))
- **Died:** 16 September 1087 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q227724#P570))
- **Place of death:** Abbey of Monte Cassino ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q227724#P20))
- **Occupation:** Catholic priest; writer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q227724#P106))
- **Positions held:** Pope (30 May 1086 – 16 September 1087); cardinal priest (1059–1086); cardinal-deacon (1058–1059); abbot of Monte Cassino (1058–1087); abbot ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q227724#P39))

## Questions

**When was Pope Victor III born?**  
Pope Victor III was born on 1027 in Benevento.

**What positions has Pope Victor III held?**  
Positions held by Pope Victor III include: Pope (1086–1087); cardinal priest (1059–1086); cardinal-deacon (1058–1059); abbot of Monte Cassino (1058–1087); abbot.

## 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 Innocent VIII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-innocent-viii)
- [Pope Gregory VIII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-gregory-viii)
- [Pope Paul II](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-paul-ii)
- [Pope Benedict XVI](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-benedict-xvi)
- [Pope Clement VI](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-clement-vi)
- [Pope Alexander IV](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-alexander-iv)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Pope Victor III](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Victor_III) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q227724](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q227724) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Victor III. - Desiderius of Montecassino.jpg (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Victor_III._-_Desiderius_of_Montecassino.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Pope Victor III, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Victor III. - Desiderius of Montecassino.jpg, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Pope Victor III". DigiNepal. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/pope-victor-iii. Retrieved 5 November 2026.