Item 9 - Indulgence: Pope Julius II

Born Giuliano della Rovere in Albisola, in the Republic of Genoa, Pope Julius II occupied the position of pontiff from 1503 to his death in 1513. Educated at the University in Perugia, Giuliano was first appointed Bishop of Carpentras in the Comtat Venaissin in October 1471, following the election of his uncle, Pope Sixtus IV, to the papacy. He was subsequently raised to the cardinalate in December 1471 and went on to hold a number of other important offices concurrently, including the offices of Papal Legate, Archbishop of Avignon and Bishop of Bologna. The dispensation which allowed the future Henry VIII of England to marry Catherine of Aragon – and which Henry later sought to nullify – was issued by Pope Julius in December 1503, shortly after his election to the papacy. His pontificate was characterised by active military involvement in foreign affairs and patronage of the arts. Under his authority, the Pontifical Swiss Guard, which is responsible for the security of the Vatican, was established in 1506, and the anti-Venetian alliance, the League of Cambrai, was created in 1508, as part of ongoing conflicts between major Western European powers over control of the Italian states. A number of significant architectural and artistic projects were commissioned by Pope Julius, including the painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo, frescoes by Raphael, and the reconstruction of St. Peter’s Basilica. He died in 1513 after a period of illness and was buried in the Vatican.