Pope Sixtus IV

Pope Sixtus IV (; 21 July 1414 - 12 August 1484),Note that the first three popes are called "Xystus" in ancient records.  Sixtus or Xystus was a Roman name which was Latinized from the Greek name "." This name means "polished."  This name is not to be confused with the common Roman name "Sextus" which means "sixth". originally Francesco della Rovere, was an Italian priest of the Roman Catholic Church and the 213th Pope from 1471 until his death in 1484. "List of Popes,"  Catholic Encyclopedia (2009); retrieved 2011-11-8.

He is known for beginning construction of the Sistine Chapel."Pope Sixtus IV," Catholic Encyclopedia; retrieved 2011-11-8.

Early life
Della Rovere was born in Celle Ligure, a town near Savona in Liguria. His family was important.Sixtus IV was the uncle of Pope Julius II.

As a young man, he joined the Franciscan Order.  He rose in the order to head of the Franciscans in Liguria.

Della Rovere studied philosophy and theology at the University of Pavia; and he lectured at Padua, Bologna, Pavia, Siena, and Florence.

Cardinal
In 1467, Pope Paul II raised della Rovere to the rank of Cardinal.

Pope
He was elected pope on August 9, 1471.  He took the name Sixtus because the first day of the conclave which elected him pope was the Feast Day of St. Sixtus.

Pope Sixtus was involved in Italian and European political disputes.

Papal actions 
 1474 – Christian I of Denmark was received in Rome.
 1479 – University of Copenhagen established
 1482 – St Bonaventura was canonized.

Legacy
Sixtus ordered the building of the Ponte Sisto (Sistine Bridge) across the Tiber River.

The Vatican Library was enlarged during the reign of Sixtus; and the number of manuscripts grew ten times larger—from 360 during the reign of Pope Nicholas V to 3650.

Related pages 
 List of popes
 List of popes from the della Rovere family

References

Other websites


  Catholic Hierarchy, Sixtus IV
  Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church , Cardinal della Rovere 

Category:Italian popes
Category:1414 births
Category:1484 deaths
Category:House of della Rovere