Pope paul iii magazine cover page

The scion of the Farnese family, who had considerable wealth and power throughout Italy, lived at a peculiar time in the history of the Church. He entered the College of Cardinals as the brother of Alexander VI, the lover of Pope Borgia, but his later advancement was due not to his connections but to his outstanding personality and talents. Many consider Paul's pontificate to be a dividing line between Renaissance church leaders and true reform popes.

Paul III approached his pontificate with incredible energy, because he wanted to restore the Catholic Church as a leading authority and a credible church. From the moment of his election, he sought to convene a universal council, but this was long hampered by the rivalry between the German-Roman Emperor Charles V and King Francis I of France.

He finally succeeded in reconciling the parties at Nice and then convened the first great reform assembly, the Council of Trent. He is also credited with discussing Protestant doctrines, radically reorganising the internal affairs of the papal state and rebuilding a plundered Rome.

How did pope paul iii die

Alessandro was born on 29 February in Canino, near Rome. Both families were among the most powerful noble families in Lazio. The Farneses were also considered true Roman nobles, although the family's roots branched out to Viterbo, Orvieto and the Lake Bolsena area. The wealthy noble family sought to provide their child with the finest education and upbringing of his time, but Alessandro proved to be a tough nut to crack.