Clement VII

Full Name: Giulio de' Medici
Profession: Pope

Nationality:

Biography: Pope Clement VII is was the sovereign of the Papal States and leader of the Catholic Church from 1523 to 1534. He was born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici in Florence, Italy in 1478. He was the nephew of Pope Leo X, who appointed him cardinal-priest of St. Anastasia in 1513. Clement VII was elected pope in 1523, after the death of Adrian VI.

Clement VII was a political leader as much as a religious one. His policy was to protect papal authority from the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, although he would ultimately fail in his attempts to keep the emperor from taking control of Rome and the Papal States. He also formed the League of Cognac with France, Venice, and Milan in 1526, an unsuccessful attempt to stop Charles V's advances.

Clement VII is remembered for his patronage of the arts, particularly literature and architecture. He commissioned works from Michelangelo, including the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. He also revived the Florentine Renaissance, commissioning works such as the Palazzo de Medici.

Born: May 26, 1478
Birthplace: Florence, Republic of Florence
Star Sign: Gemini

Died: September 25, 1534 (aged 56)