why did the pope elected in 1503 take the name julius? course hero

by Odie Romaguera I 7 min read

Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or the Fearsome Pope, he chose his papal name not in honour of Pope Julius I but in emulation of Julius Caesar. One of the most powerful and influential popes, Julius II was a central figure of the High Renaissance and left a significant cultural and political legacy.

Full Answer

How did Julius II become Pope?

Julius II became Pope in the context of the Italian wars, shortly after France occupied the Duchy of Milan and Spanish troops arrived in the Kingdom of Naples. With France taking over the North of Italy after defeating Venice at the Battle of Agnadello and Ferdinand of Spain becoming King of Naples,...

Why was Pope Julius II called the Warrior Pope?

Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or the Fearsome Pope, he chose his papal name not in honour of Pope Julius I but in emulation of Julius Caesar. One of the most powerful and influential popes, Julius II was a central figure of the High Renaissance and left a significant mark in world history.

What is the nickname of Pope Julius II?

Pope Julius II (Italian: Papa Giulio II; Latin: Iulius II) (5 December 1443 – 21 February 1513), born Giuliano della Rovere, and nicknamed "The Fearsome Pope" and "The Warrior Pope", was Pope from 1 November 1503 to his death in 1513.

What were Julius II's goals as Pope?

Once crowned, Julius II proclaimed instead his goal to centralize the Papal States (in large part a patchwork of communes and signorie) and "free Italy from the barbarians". In his early years as Pope, Julius II removed the Borjas from power and exiled them to Spain. Cesare Borgia, Duke of Romagna, shared the same fate and lost his possessions.

What was Julius II's goal?

Julius’s main goal on becoming Pope was to reinstate the papal states to their former glory, as they had fallen into ruin thanks to the Borgias. To achieve this Julius II used warfare. He first conquered Perugia and Bologna in the autumn of 1508, and then in March 1509, he joined the League of Cambrai, an anti-Venetian alliance. The league troops defeated Venice in May 1509 and the Papal States were restored. From extending the papacy’s power as the dominant political and military force and confiscating the landholdings of Cesare Borgia, Julius II sought to free all of Italy from the French and stop the rebellion of local lords. This was the motivation for his second war – to drive the French from Italy. But this war, which lasted from 1510 – 1511 was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, by 1513, his objective to make the Papacy the main force in the Italian Wars was achieved. And so, whilst Julius may have been more concerned with the recovery and expansion of papal territory, he did in the process help forge an Italian national consciousness. It is no wonder that he is depicted as a soldier-type figure.

Who was the Pope of Italy?

Pope Julius II was head of the Roman Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in 1513. He chose his papal name, not in honour of Pope Julius I, but in emulation of Julius Caesar. Julius II is known to be a causing contributor to the reformation, as his focus on the arts and politics alienated northern Europe. He is still one of the most famous Pope’s throughout history, as he is responsible for some of the best tourist destinations in all of Italy.

Where to see the works of Pope Julius II?

To see the works collected, commissioned and envisioned by Pope Julius II, visit the Vatican City for yourself, and explore the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and more on our popular Vatican Museums Tour today!

What was Julius II's greatest contribution to the art world?

As we have discovered, Julius II was not a particularly spiritual man…But he was very interested in the art world and in creating a visual masterpiece within the Catholic Church. His name is therefore closely linked with those of such great artists as Bramante, Raphael, and Michelangelo. With his wealth and visionary ideas, he contributed to their creativity. The art-loving Pope sponsored the construction of many fine buildings in Rome and encouraged the inclusion of new art in several notable churches. He laid the groundwork for the Vatican Museum by making it one of the greatest collections in Europe. This has led him to become famously known as one of the greatest investors of the arts out of all the past and present Popes in Italy. He was known to inspire great artistic creations, commissioning masterpieces from great artists such as Bramante, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Majority of these great artists best-known works were commissioned by Julius II. For example, he was the one to elect that Michelangelo should paint the Sistine Chapel ’s ceiling. He also appointed Raphael to create the four Raphael’s Rooms, as well as asking Bramante to construct new basilica for St. Peter ’s. He was so close to some of these masters, that Julius II became Michelangelo’s intellectual collaborator.

Primary Source

Sowards, J. Kelley, ed. The Julius Exclusus of Erasmus. Bloomington, Ind., 1968.

Secondary Sources

Partridge, Loren, and Randolph Starn. A Renaissance Likeness: Art and Culture in Raphael's "Julius II." Berkeley, 1980.

Overview

Pope Julius II (Latin: Iulius II; Italian: Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 1443 – 21 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or the Fearsome Pope, he chose his papal name not in honour of Pope Julius I but in emulation of Julius Caesar. One of the most powerful and influential popes, …

Overview of the Italian politics of his reign

Julius II became pope in the context of the Italian Wars, a period in which the major powers of Europe fought for primacy in the Italian peninsula. Louis XII of France controlled the Duchy of Milan, previously held by the Sforzas, and French influence had replaced that of the Medici in the Republic of Florence. The Kingdom of Naples was under Spanish rule, and the Borja family from Spain wa…

Early life

Giuliano della Rovere Albisola was born near Savona in the Republic of Genoa. He was of the House of della Rovere, a noble but impoverished family, the son of Raffaello della Rovere and Theodora Manerola, a lady of Greek ancestry. He had three brothers: Bartolomeo, a Franciscan friar who then became Bishop of Ferrara (1474–1494); Leonardo; and Giovanni, Prefect of the City of Rome (1475–1501) and Prince of Sora and Senigallia. He also had a sister, Lucina (later the mother of …

Cardinalate

After his uncle was elected Pope Sixtus IV on 10 August 1471, Giuliano was appointed Bishop of Carpentras in the Comtat Venaissin on 16 October 1471. In an act of overt nepotism he was immediately raised to the cardinalate on 16 December 1471, and assigned the same titular church as that formerly held by his uncle, San Pietro in Vincoli. Guilty of serial simony and pluralism, he held sev…

Election

A veteran of the Sacred College, della Rovere had won influence for the election of Pope Pius III with the help of Florentine Ambassador to Naples, Lorenzo de' Medici. In spite of a violent temper della Rovere succeeded by dexterous diplomacy in winning the support of Cesare Borgia, whom he won over by his promise of money and continued papal backing for Borgia policies in the Romagna. This election was, in Ludwig von Pastor's view, certainly achieved by means of briber…

A Renaissance Pope

Giuliano Della Rovere took the name Julius, only used by a single fourth-century predecessor, Julius I, and was pope for nine years, from 1503 to 1513. From the beginning, Julius II set out to defeat the various powers that challenged his temporal authority; in a series of complicated stratagems, he first succeeded in rendering it impossible for the Borgias to retain their power over the Papal States. …

Death

On the Vigil of Pentecost in May 1512, Pope Julius, aware that he was seriously ill and that his health was failing, despite comments on the part of some cardinals about how well he looked, remarked to Paris de Grassis, "They are flattering me; I know better; my strength diminishes from day to day and I cannot live much longer. Therefore I beg you not to expect me at Vespers or a…

Legacy

In 1484 Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere had begun negotiations to persuade Marquis Francesco Gonzaga of Mantua to allow Andrea Mantegna to come to Rome, which finally bore fruit in 1488; Mantegna was given the commission to decorate the chapel of the Belvedere for Pope Innocent VIII, on which he spent two years.