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Papacy

Giuliano Della Rovere thenceforth took the name of his fourth century predecessor, Julius I. He was pope from 1503-1513(10 years) From the beginning, Julius II set himself with a courage and determination rarely equaled, to rid himself of the various powers under which his temporal authority was almost overwhelmed. By a series of complicated stratagems he first succeeded in rendering it impossible for the Borgias to retain their power over the Papal States. He then used his influence to reconcile the two powerful Roman families of Orsini and Colonna, and, by decrees made in their interest, he also attached to himself the remainder of the Roman nobility.

Being thus secure in Rome and the surrounding country, he next set himself to oust the Republic of Venice from Faenza, Rimini, and the other towns and fortresses of Italy which it occupied after the death of Pope Alexander. In 1504, finding it impossible to succeed with the Doge of Venice by remonstrance, he brought about a union of the conflicting interests of France and the Holy Roman Empire, and sacrificed temporarily to some extent the independence of Italy to conclude with them an offensive and defensive alliance against Venice. The combination was, however, at first little more than nominal, and was not immediately effective in compelling the Venetians to deliver up more than a few unimportant places in the Romagna.

 But, by a brilliant campaign in 1506, Julius succeeded in freeing Perugia and Bologna from their despots (Giampolo Baglioni and Giovanni II Bentivoglio, respectively), and raised himself to such a height of influence as to render his friendship of prime importance both to Louis XII of France and the Holy Roman Emperor.

In December 1503, Julius issued a dispensation allowing Henry VIII to marry Katharine of Aragon who had previously been briefly married to Henry's brother Prince Arthur Tudor who had died some years before. Katharine maintained she had remained a virgin for the six months of her first marriage, allowing Julius to issue the dispensation, as church law would have forbidden the union if Katherine had admitted to sleeping with Arthur. Years later, when Henry was in love with Anne Boleyn and seeking to replace Katharine as his Queen, Henry would cite that the union had been consummated, and that the dispensation should never have been issued. The issue of whether Katharine and Arthur's marriage had been consummated is a question still puzzled over by historians to this day.

In 1506 he officially founded the Swiss Guard to provide a constant corps of soldiers to protect the Pope.


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Pope Julius II and Michaelangelo

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