Florence:
Leo XI: The 'Lightning' Pope
Coat of arms of Pope Leo XI
The Medici family in Florence produced a grand total of three popes; two are very famous, Leo X (r. 1513-21) and Clement VII (r. 1523-34), but the third is much less well-known. Perhaps, one of the reasons why so few people have heard of Leo XI is that he died within a month of being elected.
Cardinal Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici (1535-1605), the great-nephew of Pope Leo X, was elected Pope Leo XI on April 1st 1605, only to die twenty-six days later on April 27th. His reign is one of the shortest in papal history. (The record is held by Pope Urban VII, who reigned from September 15th to September 27th, 1590.)
During his long tenure as the archbishop of Florence, Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici was responsible for the rebuilding of the Palazzo Arcivescovile (Archbishop's Palace), which is situated opposite the baptistery in Piazza di San Giovanni. The coat of arms of Pope Leo XI graces the north-east corner of the palace.
Pope Leo XI 's very brief reign led to him being known as il Papa Lampo (The Lightning Pope).
Cardinal Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici (1535-1605), the great-nephew of Pope Leo X, was elected Pope Leo XI on April 1st 1605, only to die twenty-six days later on April 27th. His reign is one of the shortest in papal history. (The record is held by Pope Urban VII, who reigned from September 15th to September 27th, 1590.)
During his long tenure as the archbishop of Florence, Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici was responsible for the rebuilding of the Palazzo Arcivescovile (Archbishop's Palace), which is situated opposite the baptistery in Piazza di San Giovanni. The coat of arms of Pope Leo XI graces the north-east corner of the palace.
Pope Leo XI 's very brief reign led to him being known as il Papa Lampo (The Lightning Pope).