Pius III, born Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini (1439 – 1503), was the Pope that succeeded Alexander VI, after the latter's death by the hands of his son.
Biography[]
Pius III was sixty-four when he was elected to the Papacy in 1503, and he was known for his deep piety and poor health. During his Papacy, he supported neither the Assassins nor the Templars, and was seen by the two factions as a compromise candidate who was not expected to last long as Pope. Nonetheless, he did start the moral reformation of the church to undo some of his predecessor's damage. Pius soon succumbed to the pressures of his position and died on 18 October, only twenty-six days into his reign, after which Julius II succeeded him.[1]
Trivia[]
- Historically, Pius supported Cesare Borgia and reinstated him as Gonfaloniere di Roma, the chief justice of Rome.