LEO XI, Pope. - Born in Florence on 2 June 1535, died in Rome on 27 April 1605. Alessandro, born to Ottaviano de' Medici, of a collateral branch of the Florentine family, and to Francesca Salviati, niece of Leo X, was sent by Cosimo I in 1569 as ambassador to the Curia, and remained there to the satisfaction of the grand dukes and the popes for almost fifteen years, during which he was created bishop of Pistoia (9 March 1573), archbishop of Florence (15 Jan. 1574), cardinal (12 Dec. 1583).
Pious and zealous, in close relations from his youth with the Dominicans of S. Marco, a friend and admirer of St. Philip Neri, he strove to introduce the Tridentine reforms into his dioceses, and was distinguished for munificence in the restoration of Roman churches and later in the purchase of the Villa Medici on the Pincio. He worked to persuade Clement VIII to absolve Henry IV and, after the latter's reconciliation with the Church, was appointed legate a latere in France (3 April 1596), where he remained for over two years. He did not succeed, nor could he have succeeded, in the principal aim of his legation, that of restoring religious unity in France, indeed he recognized the necessity of an agreement with the Huguenots, from which the Edict of Nantes issued. Nor did he obtain that Henry IV keep all his promises, but with frankness, prudence and modesty he won the King's sympathy, obtained clamorous conversions, and restored ecclesiastical discipline, shaken by the wars of religion. He presided over the negotiations for the peace of Vervins (2 May 1598) and exercised an effective mediating role there. Already bishop of Albano (30 Aug. 1600) and of Palestrina (17 June 1602), he was elected pope on 1 April 1605 with the support of France and despite the opposition of Spain. He was free from nepotism, grateful to the people for the abolition of burdensome taxes; independent even before the King of France; he sent ample aid to the Emperor against the Turks, convened a cardinalatial commission for the reform of the voting system in the conclave; he cut short (23 April 1605) a dispute between the clergy of Castile and León and the Jesuits, obliging the latter to give a share of their revenues.
He died after a very brief pontificate, deeply mourned; he had a monument in St. Peter's, the work of Algardi.
Bibliography3 works
Giovanni Battista Picotti