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Pope Paul III

Pope Paul III

1468 CE–1549 CE · Sovana, Tuscany

Born Alessandro Farnese into a noble Roman family, he was educated in the humanist circle of Lorenzo de' Medici and advanced rapidly, partly through his sister Giulia's connection to Alexander VI. Though his early career reflected Renaissance worldliness—he had children before ordination—as pope he became a pivotal reformer. Paul III convened the Council of Trent in 1545, launching the Catholic Counter-Reformation, and in 1540 approved the Society of Jesus. He also commissioned Michelangelo to complete the Last Judgment and serve as architect of St. Peter's. His blend of nepotism and genuine reforming vision makes him a transitional figure between Renaissance and reform.

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Stop 0 of 31468–1486Born

Sovana, Tuscany

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About Sovana, Tuscany

Sovana, a small town in southern Tuscany, central Italy. It was the birthplace of Hildebrand of Sovana, the reforming Pope Gregory VII.

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In the same place & time

Sages whose lives overlapped with Pope Paul III’s in the same cities, drawn from their recorded journeys.

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