Pope Pius II

Born Enea Silvio Piccolomini in 1405 in Corsignano, near Siena, he rose from relatively modest noble roots to become one of the most cultivated churchmen of his age. Before becoming Pope Pius II in 1458, he built a reputation as a diplomat, secretary, and humanist writer, moving through the lively intellectual and political circles of fifteenth-century Europe.

He is remembered not only as pope but also as an author. He wrote widely, and his Commentaries stand out as a vivid, unusually personal account of his own pontificate and the wider world around him. That combination of literary skill and first-hand political experience makes him especially interesting to readers who enjoy history told by someone who helped shape it.

As pope, he worked to strengthen papal authority and tried to rally Christian rulers against the Ottoman Empire. He also left a mark on the physical landscape by transforming his birthplace into the ideal Renaissance town of Pienza. He died in 1464, leaving behind the image of a learned, energetic, and very human Renaissance pontiff.