Urban VII

Pope Urban VII (Latin: Urbanus VII; Italian: Urbano VII; 4 August 1521 – 27 September 1590), born Giovanni Battista Castagna, was head of the Catholic Church, and leader of the Papal States from 15 to 27 September 1590. His papacy is the shortest recognized in history.

Castagna, born in Rome in 1521, was a highly educated man who held various positions within the Catholic Church and the structures of the Papal States of his day. He served as Governor of Fano, Perugia, and Umbria and, as the Archbishop of Rossano, participated in the Council of Trent. Later, he was appointed as the Apostolic Nuncio to Spain and Venice and served as the Papal legate to Flanders and to Cologne. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 1583 by Pope Gregory XIII.