Berengar II of Italy
Born in Rome in the region around the "Clivus Argentarius", Leo came from an illustrious noble family. He was the son of John who held the office of protonotary. Although a layperson, he was the "protoscriniarius" (or superintendent of the Roman public schools for scribes) in the papal court during the pontificate of John XII. In 963 he was included in a party that was sent by John to the newly crowned Holy Roman emperor, Otto I, who was besieging the deposed King Berengar II of Italy at the castle of St. Leo in Umbria. His instructions were to reassure the emperor that the pope was determined to correct the abuses of the papal court, as well as protesting about Otto's actions in demanding that cities in the Papal States take an oath of fidelity to the emperor instead of the pope.