Pope Sixtus V

Born Felice Peretti to a poor family near Grottammare, Sixtus V rose through the Franciscan order and the Inquisition to become one of the most forceful reforming popes. In a brief but transformative reign he restored papal finances, ruthlessly suppressed banditry in the Papal States, and reorganized the Roman Curia into fifteen congregations, a structure that endured for centuries. He capped the number of cardinals at seventy and reshaped Rome physically, completing the dome of St. Peter's, raising the Vatican obelisk, and laying out grand avenues. His sweeping ambition outpaced his time, but his administrative legacy proved lasting.