Leo XI

Pope Leo XI (; 2 June 153527 April 1605), born Alessandro di Ottaviano de' Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 April 1605 to his death, on 27 April 1605. His pontificate is one of the briefest in history, lasting under a month. He was from the prominent House of Medici originating from Florence.

In his career he served as Florence's ambassador to the pope, Bishop of Pistoia, Archbishop of Florence, Papal legate to France, and as the cardinal Prefect for the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars. He was elected to the papacy in the March 1605 papal conclave when he was almost seventy. He almost immediately suffered from fever and died 27 days into his papacy.

Biography Early life Alessandro di Ottaviano de' Medici was born in Florence as the son of Ottaviano de' Medici and Francesca Salviati. His family belonged to Medici di Ottajano, a cadet branch of the House of Medici. Ottaviano died early in his son's life, and thereafter Alessandro was home schooled by a Dominican priest, Vincenzo Ercolano.

Alessandro's mother was a daughter of Lucrezia de' Medici and a sister of the influential cardinal Giovanni Salviati. Through her, Leo XI was a second cousin of Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France (both descended from Lorenzo the Magnificent). Francesca opposed Alessandro's entering the priesthood and sought to prevent it by having him given secular honours, but after her death he eventually was ordained a priest in 1567.

Alessandro felt the call to the priesthood, but his mother opposed this since he was the only male in the family. She sent him instead to the court of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, who appointed him a knight of San Stefano. In 1560 he travelled to Rome where he commenced a lifelong friendship and collaboration with Philip Neri, the future saint. It was Philip who predicted that Alessandro would ascend to the pontificate. His mother died in 1566, at which point he resumed his studies to become a priest. His ordination took place on 22 July 1567.

Priesthood Tomb of Leo XI in St. Peter's Basilica, by Alessandro Algardi

Alessandro served as the Florentine ambassador to Pope Pius V from 1569 to 1584 and in 1573 was appointed by Pope Gregory XIII Bishop of Pistoia. In March 1573 he received episcopal consecration in Rome. In 1574 he was made Archbishop of Florence.

In 1596 Pope Clement VIII sent Alessandro as a papal legate to France, where he remained until 1598, when he received word of his appointment as Prefect of the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars.

Pontificate

Papal election

On 14 March 1605, eleven days after the death of Clement VIII, 62 cardinals entered the conclave. Prominent among the candidates for the papacy were the great historian Caesar Baronius and the famous Jesuit controversialist Robert Bellarmine, future saint.

But Pietro Aldobrandini, the leader of the Italian party among the cardinals, allied with the French cardinals and brought about the election of Alessandro against the express wish of King Philip III of Spain. King Henry IV of France is said to have spent 300,000 écus in the promotion of Alessandro's candidacy.

On 1 April 1605, Cardinal Alessandro de' Medici was elected as pope. He chose to be called Leo XI in honor of his uncle Pope Leo X. His death came as a result of fatigue and cold in the ceremony of taking possession of the Basilica of St John Lateran on 17 April; he started suffering from a fever the following day.