Pope Leo X, born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the 217th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1513 to 1521. As a member of the influential Medici family of Florence, Leo X's pontificate was marked by significant political and religious events during the Renaissance era.
Pope Leo X was known for his patronage of the arts and his lavish lifestyle. He enthusiastically supported and sponsored famous artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo, commissioning numerous works of art and architecture, including the magnificent frescoes in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.
However, Leo X's papacy was also characterized by controversies and challenges. His papal bull, Exsurge Domine, condemned the teachings of the German theologian Martin Luther, which eventually led to the Protestant Reformation. Leo X played a crucial role in excommunicating Luther from the Catholic Church, further intensifying the divide between Catholicism and Protestantism.
Financially strained, Leo X authorized the sale of indulgences, contributing to popular discontent and criticism of the Church's practices, eventually leading to the widespread protests and reform movements. His pontificate was thus marked by both cultural achievements and the beginning of religious schism in Western Christianity.
Overall, Pope Leo X left a complex and controversial legacy, with his patronage of the arts and contributions to the cultural flourishing of the Renaissance, but also for his involvement in the events that led to the fracturing of the Catholic Church.
