Pope Leo X: The Most Extravagant Pope in History

this video has been brought to you by cyber ghost VPN more about them later in this video Welcome Back to biographics I'm your host Eric malachite that's your channel mascot Jade and today we're talking about Pope Leo the 10th with a script provided by Ru Alexander be sure to check the links in the description and gear up for a rather fascinating story regarding one of the greediest popes in history since God has given us the papacy let us enjoy it and he certainly did that's not only a quote from Pope Leo I 10th but also his philosophy he had found the answer to life the papacy and everything and it wasn't 42 but rather the so for more money more money and even more money already Born Into the notoriously wealthy Michi family Leo used his position a power to enrich himself to an insane degree so we could enjoy the finest things that money could buy which he did a lot with mixed results one might say although his spending helped give the world some of the most beautiful works of art from the Renaissance his uncontrollable lust for power and riches caused a few Rifts to put it lightly this led to some Waring one assassination attempt and one of the greatest schisms in the history of Christianity the [Music] Reformation Pao the 10th was born Giovani De Lorenzo de Med on December 11th 1475 in Florence which was back then not only an independent republic but also one of Europe's artistic cultural and economic centers this was in no small part thanks to Leo's family the house of medich which was one of the most powerful and influential clans of the Italian Renaissance the family made big big bucks in banking during the 15th century in fact under the ownership of Leo's great-grandfather Kimo the Michi Bank became the largest banking house in Europe with that kind of money came serious power and the medich were in essence the rulers of the Florentine Republic unsurprisingly little Giovani who we're just going to call Leo from now on because it's easier had a privileged childhood to put it mildly he was the Second Son of Lorenzo de medich who was literally called Lorenzo the Magnificent and Clarice orini who came from another one of the great Italian Noble houses you just can't compete with that kind of pedigree Le grew up in a palace that was purposefully built to be the tallest building in that area so everyone else would remember that none of them were quite as good as the medich his walls were adorned with artwork by some of the greatest artists of the Renaissance many of whom were sponsored by his relatives as a teenager Leo was friends with a young Michelangelo who practiced his sculpting in the medich gardens some of the richest and most powerful people in the world came to Feast at Leo's dining table all the best tutors in Italy traveled to his Palace to teach him in other words from the very second he was born all of life's circumstances worked in his favor to ensure that Giovani deichi would become someone of great importance older brother Piero deichi later known as Pio the unfortunate was destined to be the heir and carry on the family business however as his name might suggest things didn't quite work out for him and he and his family were exiled from Florence just a couple years after assuming power from his father unfortunately it was to little brother Leo to put the michi's back in control of Florence but we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves from birth it seemed that Leo was destined to become a clergyman supposedly his mother had a dream the night before he was born that she gave birth not to a baby but to a docile lion we're not expert onira critics here at biographics but apparently that meant that he was supposed to join the clergy and Ona critic is someone who interprets Dreams by the way and yes we had to look that up in deference to his mother's dream Giovani deichi later adopted the papal name of Leo if you're like me you probably spend a lot of time writing in cafes it might sound cliche but it's one of the best environments to get a manuscript done but using someone else's Wi-Fi can be a security nightmare data breaches and malware infections are a lot more common than you might think you could be a button press away from losing all of your data or Worse your identity itself with cyber ghost VPN you can finally put your mind at ease and shield your identity it's super easy to get started too as cyber ghost is one of the most beginner friendly VPN on the market and their customer service is topnotch it's easy to see why more than 19,000 users have given them an excellent rating on trust pilot and more than 38 million users are actively using their service how does it work cyber GH transmits your data through a secured encrypted tunnel giving you a high level of online anonymity and military grade security step up your cyber security without falling behind in speed or responsiveness and overcome blocked online libraries of over 40 streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime on a personal note I've tried other vpns and I've never been able to get TV shows not available in the US using them but with cyber ghost I was able to access UK Netflix and start streaming It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia with zero headaches use one subscription to protect and enjoy online freedom without restrictions on up to seven devices cyber ghost VPN service takes virtually every single box you can imagine and it's compatible with most operating systems including Windows Mac OS Linux iOS Android Smart TV and even gaming consoles it's simply one of the best VPN service providers click on the link in the description to get this amazing offer that is available only for our subscribers so act quickly click the link in the description and use this special discount cyber coost VPN has provided just for our Channel users to protect your data it's a 45-day money back guarantee in 24/7 customer support so everything is risk-free with his career already planned out Leo took part in his first important religious ceremony at the tender age of six when he received his tonsure that's when they give you the frier tuck haircut and shave your head apart from a band of hair around the Noggin as a symbol of humility and dedication to the church although when you were a medich you didn't really have to work that hard to show your dedication the following year in 1483 Leo was made the Abbott of fond de in France he was put in charge of the monastery even though he was only 7 years old and then another two in Italy pasano and Monty Casino over the next few years Leo held 27 separate offices even though he was still too young to get in to see an R-rated movie unlike me I had someone irresponsible to let me in to see True Lies it was my dad moving on he didn't have to actually do anything of course just sit back and get rich well you know richer then in 1484 innocent the eth became the new pope he was friendly with the Michi so Lorenzo saw golden opportunity to secure some fast advancement for his son in 1488 he married his daughter matalena to the Pope's son now that they were practically family what's that tiny favor between relatives right in 1489 the 13-year-old Leo was made a cardinal of the Catholic church this was done in secret because even back then this kind of blatant nepotism might have pissed off a few people and it was in name only since Leo still was not allowed to wear the Cardinal clothes or attend the College of cardinals because again he was 13 instead the pope made him actually do some work and send him to Pisa to study Theology and canon law in 1492 after 3 years in Pisa Leo was old enough to return to Rome Dawn the an official member of the College of cardinals the group that advised the pope directly and most importantly chose a new pope when the old one died you can kind of see where this is going right you might or might not be surprised to hear that Leo was the youngest member of the college his father Lorenzo deichi died in April of that same year but not before writing his son a letter warning Leo of all the pitfalls and dangers that awaited him in his new life in Rome he wrote there will be many there who will try to corrupt you and incite you to Vice you must therefore oppose temptation all the more firmly you are well aware how important is the example you ought to show to others as a cardinal and that the world would be a better place if all Cardinals were what they ought to be because if they were so there would always be a good Pope and consequently a more peaceful world spoiler alert Leo did not take his father's [Music] advice with his father dead Leo returned to Florence to support his family and also to show a unified medich front now that his brother PTO was taking over all of Lorenzo's responsibilities despite the fact that Leo was richer than cus and already held a high rank as Cardinal his position was still somewhat tenuous you see he had lost as big a supporter the man who did everything in his considerable power to ensure that Leo made it this far in the first place and 3 months later he would lose another important Ally as Pope Innocent VII shuffled off his mortal coil this meant that Leo had to return to Rome to participate in the 1492 papal Conquest clave and elect a new pontiff the grand Lotto winner was none other than Alexander V 6 the infamous boura Pope and who knows maybe someone will cover that topic here on biographics in the future but it took four balance before bja won the election and if rumors are to be believed he only achieved this through briberies and Promises of mutual back scratching so you know nothing had changed with that out of the way Leo once again went back to his native Florence but things weren't going too well there P did not have his father's soft touch when it came to diplomacy and ruling from the Shadows he preferred the Iron Fist approach and the people of Florence were getting fed up with that after all he was just a spoiled rich brat he didn't hold any official title adding to the turmoil in 1494 King Charles II of France invaded Naples or napoi as the Italians call it this led to the appearance of the league of Venice which formed to oppose him and included Florence however before that happened Pio tried to sign a treaty with King Charles more or less pleading with him to leave Flor Florence alone this was the final straw for the florentines who saw it as an act of cowardice in November 1494 they revolted against Pio and ran him out of town Leo barely escaped with his life disguising himself as a monk to evade the wrath of an angry mob for the first time in 60 years the michis were no longer in charge of Florence Big Brother PTO never got to return to Florence he spent the next decade in Exile and drowned in 1503 following the Battle of gadiano thus making Leo the new head of the House of Michi meanwhile the younger brother used this time to live up to the Michi Name by doing the two things that his family was known for yes spending money and being a patron of arts and literature after 6 years in Exile the Cardinal made his way back to Rome where Alexander I 6 was still Pope but not for long Alexander died the same year as PTO and PAs III becoming the new pontiff however he died too just 26 days after being elected so by the end of 1503 Julius II had been chosen as the new pope this represented a turn in Leo's fortunes because Julius was fond of the young Cardinal even though the guy seemed a bit confused about his job duties he was the head of the Catholic Church the spiritual guide for millions of people but what the pope really wanted to do was cosplay as Julius Caesar or Kaiser as it's supposed to be pronounced the man he named himself after he rallied the Papal States against France and even personally LED his troops at the siege of mirandola in 1511 earning himself the moniker of the warrior Pope but whatever if the pope was itching for a good fight then Leo was eager to please in 1511 he entered the combat zone only to be defeated at Ren in 1512 and taken prisoner by the French fortunately for him his confinement did not last long shortly after the holy League which sounds like a version of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen but religious bested the French army and drove them out of Northern Italy this allowed Leo to Dawn a disguise once again this time as a soldier and make his Escape Leo might not have made a particularly effective Soldier but his enthusiasm was rewarded nevertheless with France on the back foot the pope decided that it was time for the michis to regain power in Florence With a Little Help from Spain a fellow member of the Holy League at first the florentines resisted and fortunately for them their city was too nice to destroy instead as punishment the Spanish Army attacked the nearby town of prau just to show them what would happen if they didn't play nice it really sucked for prto but Florence got the message nice and clear so after 18 years in Exile the medich were welcome back to the city well as a cardinal Leo wasn't officially allowed to rule over Florence so little brother Giuliano was put in charge this was on paper only however as everyone knew that Leo was actually calling the shots and this was only the [Music] beginning Pope Julius the second dying on February 21st 1513 thus necessitating the College of cardinals to gather once more and elect a new pope at first things weren't looking great for Leo for starters he was suffering from a painful anal fistula do not Google that and had to be carried off into the Vatican on a special chair and operated on during the conclave then during the first ballot he only received one vote making it seem like he had no chance winning the papacy but things were not as they seemed in fact Leo had quite a few backers particularly among the younger Cardinals but they chose not to reveal their support from the outset instead voting for other candidates they knew had no chance of winning then a lot of secret backdoor Shenanigans took place in 7 Days Later the decision was unanimous on March 19th 1513 the 37-year-old Giovani deichi was crowned pop Leo the 10th everyone had their own reasons for voting for Leo some genuinely believed he was the best candidate others wanted someone as different from the warrior Pope as possible and Leo with his love of arts and literature fit the bill perfectly some might have even been moved by the young Cardinal's dedication to his role despite his agonizing medical condition or perhaps they felt that his illness meant that his tenure as Pope would be a a very short one and others were merely persuaded behind closed doors money whatever their motivation might have been Leo was now the head honcho and he celebrated in style with a lavish parade in Rome all the houses along the Route were decorated with Laurels and expensive velvet cloths Splendid new archways were constructed the fountain spouted wine instead of water as a giant procession made its way through the city streets Leo was right at the end riding a white horse under a canopy made of embroidered silk draped in a jeweled cloak and The paple Tiara it just sounds like Miss America it was quite a sight to see and these celebrations were matched in Florence where the people were now ecstatic that one of their own was the new pope everyone was hopeful that the reign of Leo the 10th would Usher in a new golden age but it didn't take long for him to prove them all wrong from the beginning Leo made it pretty clear that he wasn't particularly interested in any kind of Reform even though many of Europe's Catholics felt that the church was long overdue the pope liked things the way they were for starters he made sure his family was well taken care of he appointed his cousin Giuliano as the new Archbishop of Florence while his nephew Lorenzo diero de Med I became the Duke of urbino and also the new ruler of Florence once Leo's younger brother passed away in 1516 but this kind of favoritism was hardly unexpected Leo's biggest problem was that he liked to spend money a lot of it so much of money during his time the papal household had almost 700 servants more than any other Pope who came before him and this Palace had to be furnished and decorated with the most luxurious and expensive items that money could buy and he loved throwing lavish Fe feasts and exotic dishes such as peacock tongues and pies filled with live Nightingales and he wanted to maintain the family's reputation and being patrons of the Arts so we sponsored many famous Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo and Raphael and kept them from turning to a life of vigilantism as Ninja Turtles Ru totally wrote that for me thanks Ru and he had a pet elephant named Hano who is still buried under the vatican's badier courtyard to this day and to give Leo full credit he was also Al said to be generous with the less fortunate donating over 6,000 duckets a year to the poor sick and homeless of Rome where one Ducket coin had about 3.5 G of pure gold now we're certainly not saying that all of Leo's spending was bad some good things did come of it but it was out of control and even as the pope and the head of the House of Michi he still didn't have the infinite money cheek code so he turned to a tried and true practice that his predecessors tried to do away with selling indulgences B basically accepting payments to absolve people of their sins if you were on the naughty list but didn't have the time or disposition to pray recite hymns or any of the other kinds of repentance just give the church a buttload of money and all was forgiven sure this was a fast and easy way for Leo to refill his coffers but it would come back to bite him in the ass in a big [Music] way in 1517 less than 4 years after he became Pope things started to take a serious turn for Leo and began with the war of urbino in January when Leo decided that his nephew Lorenzo should be the new Duke of urbino quite annoyingly there was already a Duke of urbino Franchesco Mor DEA rer and he wasn't about to give up his spot just because the pope demanded it so the two sides fought during the first half of the year and DEA rer had the upper hand for most of the conflict he only had to concede defeat because he ran out of money to pay his troops But ultimately it was a pic review for Leo it's estimated that it cost him around 8 100,000 duckets and Lorenzo ended up serving as duke of urbino only for 3 years before he died suddenly at the age of 26 and de River regained his position but this was just the start of Leo's troubles that same year the pope decided that it was time for a new crusade to ward off the powerful advance of the Ottoman Empire under Seline uniting all of Christendom to find a common enemy would have been quite a display of Leo's Authority but it was not to be the European powers simply distrusted each other too much to play nice together Leo's efforts were in vain and by 1519 he had given up any hopes of carrying out his plan and that was still not the worst of it because also in 1517 Pope Leo I 10th may or may not have been the target of an assassination attempt orchestrated by his own Cardinals remember Leo's painful anal fistula please don't Google that we mentioned earlier well apparently some of the Cardinals thought that they could do away with him by poisoning his bandages however the petruci conspiracy which I only know how to pronounce correctly because I listen to a lot of Dream Theater growing up as it was known was discovered and foiled that is if it ever truly existed at all five Cardinals were named and arrested the aformentioned Alfonso petruci supposedly The Mastermind behind the attempt benad Deno Sali rafaelo riario Adriano Calisi and Franchesco sodini but the case against them heavily relied on the testimony of puchi's major dormo Mark Antonio Nini which was obtained under extreme torture and not exactly reliable but why would Leo want to manufacture a plot against him well let's look at what happened next Cardinal riario was F the giant sum of 150,000 duckets while the others paid lesser but still Hefty fines and they all lost their Church appointments of course Cardinal petruci was actually sentenced to death and executed according to Venetian historian Marine Coto Leo made around half a million duckets from the incident plus he got rid of five Cardinals he didn't like afterward on July 1st the pope appointed a staggering 31 new Cardinals more than doubling the size of the college overnight and many of them were either native florentines or medich relatives or other allies so with one move Leo made some serious bank and surrounded himself with loyalists what do you think was it faked or not comment down below let me [Music] know and yet only now do we arrive at Leo's biggest headache a pesky German an augustinian frier by the name of Martin Luther remember all those indulgences that Leo sold to fill his coffers as we said not everyone was on board with the idea and Luther was one of them he wrote a list of criticisms and propositions known as the 95 thesis and on October 31st 1517 nailed them to the door of Castle Church in viton ball unaware that he was about to trigger a religious Revolution known as the reformation and just for the sake of clarity we should mention that the Reformation movement already existed in some places before Luther but it was his act of defiance that kicked it into high gear pop Leo really didn't comprehend the magnitude of Luther's actions until it was too late to stop them at first Leo thought that Martin Luther was just another angry nobody who was best left ignored until he faded Into Obscurity once more at the time Leo was more interested in getting his Crusade off the ground but that was not to be because the theologians ideas started to gain Traction in Germany it wasn't until January 1518 that the pope appointed three people to study Luther's writings and decide whether or not they were wrong unsurprisingly they concluded that Martin Luther was guilty of heresy and the German frier was ordered to go to Rome wisely Luther chose to disobey this order he knew that if he went he would likely be excommunicated and probably even sentenced to death for heresy fortunately for him Luther had one powerful protector Frederick III the prince elector of Saxony he refused to turn the frer over to the church despite directives from Pope Leo and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles I when that didn't work Leo tried fighting fire with fire and challenged Luther in writing with a public decree known as a papal bull published on June 15th 1520 it was called exergy Domin and was basically a Dis Track against the Friar's radical ideas which began with the words arise O Lord and judge your own cause remember your approaches to those who are filled with foolishness all through the day Leo dropped another hot joint in January 1521 titled deit romanum pontum this time officially ex communicating Martin Luther from the church in response Luther burned the papal bull in public and at least in Germany most of the people were on his side the Protestant Reformation was now in full swing could Leo still do anything to stop it though we'll never know in November of that Year Leo was suddenly stricken with malaria and a few days later on December 1st 1521 he died at the age of 45 and was buried in Rome in the Basilica Santa Maria sopra minurva Pope Leo I 10th created a comp ated Legacy for himself with some Grand Ambitions and Good Deeds tainted by his excessive spending he left the Catholic church in a much worse State than he found it it was nearly bankrupt forcing the popes who followed Leo to enact desperate austerity measures to cope with all the crippling bills and debts but most importantly he left it fractured as a giant section of his former worshippers decided to abandon the Catholic church and become Protestants thus dealing a serious blow to the power influence and authority of the papacy from that moment on future Eric here before we end the video don't forget to click on the description link to get the special discount cyber ghost VPN is granting to our viewers this application will protect your data while you browse and give you full access to all blocked content on the internet for $23 a month it's totally risk-free so check it out link is in the description well I certainly hope you found that video to be enjoyable and if you did be sure to do all that algorithmic jazz and be sure to keep it tuned here to biographics for more videos like this I'm Eric malachite this is Jade and I'll see you next time space cowboy