Pope from August 9, 1471 - August 12, 1484Lived: July 21, 1414 - August 12, 1484Birth name: Francesco della Rovere
Who was this guy before he was pope? Born to a poor family in Genoa in 1414, Francesco della Rovere joined the Franciscans at a young age and studied philosophy and theology at the University of Pavia. It turned out that young Francesco was no intellectual slouch, so he soon began lecturing at multiple universities across Italy. At the age of 50, Francesco was named Minister General of the Franciscan order, and three years later Pope Paul II made him a cardinal to boot. He was widely known as a pious man with a solid moral constitution, having written documents on the Precious Blood, the Immaculate Conception, and the power of God.
Give me the scoop on Sixtus IV.The next successor of Peter, chosen in a conclave that convened on August 7, 1471, styled himself “Sixtus IV” after St. Sixtus II, the pope and martyr whose feast day was being celebrated. Pope Sixtus IV’s first order of business was leading a crusade against the Turks in Smyrna, which proved successful, and was paid for in large part by the myriad treasures Pope Paul II had hoarded during his reign. Sixtus then tried to reconcile with the Greek and Russian Orthodox churches, to no avail.
The pope’s lone vice was a nepotism that saw him heaping benefits on several unworthy relatives -- decisions which would harm the Church for decades. One unfortunate instance saw his nephew, Cardinal Rafael Riario, trying to boot the Medicis out of power in Florence, and not through nonviolent means. The plot, which wasn’t endorsed by Sixtus, led to all sorts of unrest that may even have quickened the pope’s death due to stress. In office for 13 years and three days, Sixtus IV died August 12, 1484 and is buried in St. Peter’s Basilica.
What was he known for?Without a doubt, Pope Sixtus IV’s greatest contributions to the Church and the world were the construction of the Sistine Chapel (which is named after him), officially giving a home to Nicholas V’s Vatican Library, and gathering the group of artists who ushered in the early Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci in particular gained his first notoriety during the reign of Sixtus IV. During this papacy, da Vinci completed landmark works like the
Baptism of Christ and the first edition of his
Virgin of the Rocks, which depicts the infant John the Baptist, Mary, and an angel all worshiping the infant Jesus.
Sixtus IV also
canonized the great St. Bonaventure in 1482: