Pius VII
Sign in to savehead of the Catholic Church, ruler of the Papal States from 1800 to 1823 (1742–1823)
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Pius VII was the Pope and leader of the Catholic Church from 1800 to 1823, during a turbulent period that included conflict with Napoleon and major changes in Europe. As both a religious leader and the ruler of the Papal States (territory in Italy controlled by the Church), he played an important role in shaping the Church's relationship with European governments during the early 19th century.
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Pope Pius VII (Italian: Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823) was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He was the leader of the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again from 1814 to his death. Chiaramonti was also a monk of the Order of Saint Benedict in addition to being a well-known theologian and bishop.
Chiaramonti was made Bishop of Tivoli in 1782, and resigned that position upon his appointment as Bishop of Imola in 1785. That same year, he was made a cardinal. In 1789, the French Revolution took place, and as a result a series of anti-clerical governments came into power in the country. In 1798, during the French Revolutionary Wars, French troops under Louis-Alexandre Berthier invaded Rome and captured Pope Pius VI, taking him as a prisoner to France, where he died in 1799. The following year, after a sede vacante period lasting approximately six months, Chiaramonti was elected to the papacy, taking the name Pius VII.