Pope Paul III

Pope Paul III (Latin: Paulus III; Italian: Paolo III; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549.

Paul III came to the papal throne in the time following the sack of Rome in 1527, which was rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church as the Protestant Reformation progressed and the Ottoman Empire threatened Christian frontiers. He called the Holy League of 1538 to relieve the Republic of Venice from Ottoman expansionism, recruiting Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Despite highly ambitious outlooks, the League fell into infighting and disbanded without much success.

His pontificate also initiated the Catholic Reformation with the Council of Trent in 1545, and witnessed wars of religion in which Charles V launched military campaigns against the Protestants in Germany. He recognized new Catholic religious orders and societies such as the Jesuits, the Barnabites, and the Congregation of the Oratory. His efforts were distracted by nepotism to advance the power and fortunes of his family, including his illegitimate son Pier Luigi Farnese.

Paul III was a significant patron of artists, including Michelangelo, and Nicolaus Copernicus dedicated his heliocentric treatise to him.

Education: University of Pisa

Source: Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Paul_III