Pope Julius II, Warrior Pope

Guiliano Della Rovere served as Pope Julius II, from 1 November 1503 to 21 February 1513. He has been labelled Warrior Pope. Despite that, he was one of the most powerful and influential of all popes, both culturally and politically. He is known for both positive and negative accomplishments: his constant personal involvement in wars, his use of simony (bribery), his extensive nepotism (nominating five nephews and close cousins in the College of Cardinals and siblings to other high positions), his beautification scheme for Rome, including the direction of the rebuilding of St. Peter’s Basilica, and his friendship with Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Born in 1443, Guiliano was highly influenced by his uncle, a Franciscan. Not one of a spiritual nature, Guiliano had a short temper, and a love of battle. When his uncle, Cardinal Della Rovere, was elected pope in August, 1471, the nephew’s future was established. Before he was thirty, Guiliano was Bishop of three dioceses as well as Cardinal. He received benefices from all of them, making him well to do. Soon, he was a papal legate and arranged a marriage for his brother so that the brother eventually became Duke of Urbano. When Pope Sixtus created an archbishopric of Avignon, Guiliano was the first to rule. He also became a papal legate to France, serving several terms, and was chamberlain/treasurer of the College of Cardinals.

In 1480, Pope Sixtus sent Guiliano back to France to negotiate peace between Louis XI of France and Maximillian of Austria, raise funds for a new Crusade and negotiate the release of a bishop and a cardinal who had been imprisoned. Guiliano returned to Rome in 1482 followed shortly by 100,000 ecus of gold France had sent to subsidize the war. The next year, Guiliano was promoted to suburbicarian Bishop of Ostia. By this time, he had sufficient money to finish building his palace next to the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles in Rome.

When Pope Innocent VIII was elected, Cardinal Guiliano became his primary advisor. He also got his brother Giovanni to become the Captain-General of the Papal Armies. Cardinal Guiliano negotiated his way through the arguing between Naples, ruled by Spain, France and the Papal States, which claimed Naples as a papal fief. Innocent signed a peace treaty but was humiliated and asked Florence for help. The next year, Guiliano was legate to Venice but threats of the Ottoman Empire invading parts of Italy made him leave.

Innocent died in 1492, and the conclave was a bed of simony, with King Charles VIII of France, and Genoa, putting 300,000 ducats on the table, for those who voted for Cardinal Guiliano. But Cardinal Borgia put out more money and he won, taking the name of Alexander VI. Cardinal Guiliano was appointed legate to Avignon. Alarmed at the increasing power of Milan, he withdrew to Ostia, placed his Roman palace in the guardianship of his brother and set out for Avignon. King Charles of France wanted to take Italy from the Borgias by military force and entered Rome at the end of 1493, with Guiliano. Pope Alexander signed for peace. But Charles had a new idea: have a papal election in France and elect Guiliano.  Hearing this, Pope Alexander declared Cardinal Guiliano an enemy of the Apostolic See. He removed all of Guiliano’s benefices, despite a majority of cardinals being opposed. They were restored later. The 1499 marriage of Cesar Borgia to Princess Charlotte of France made Alexander switch allegiance and support France and Venice, with their accepted goal of destroying the Sforzas’ hold on Milan. Cardinal Sforza left Rome with all his property. Guiliano marched into Milan beside King Louis XII on October 6 and it surrendered. Alexander started a campaign against Guiliano, transferring him to a smaller benefice, attempting to kidnap him and poisoning two cardinals.

The election of Pius III was certainly achieved by bribery with both money and promises. But his papacy lasted a month. Guiliano’s election was almost unanimous.

The first thing the new Pope Julius did was decree that no simony would ever affect another papal election. They were forbidden. Then he went back to his wars. He developed an offensive against Venice in union with France and the Holy Roman Empire. And he campaigned to free Perusia and Bologna from their despots. In December 1503, he granted a dispensation so that Henry VIII of England could marry his sister-in-law, Catherine of Aragon. He saw himself as the new Julius Caesar and personally led troops in mostly localized battles. His last few years were spent fighting wars where the players kept changing sides.