Pope Leo X (Giovanni de' Medici)

Giovanni de' Medici, son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, received the tonsure at seven, was loaded with benefices and became a cardinal at thirteen. As Pope Leo X (1513 to 1521) he spent his predecessor's treasure in two years, sold, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, even the highest offices and degraded indulgences almost entirely into financial transactions. For the elevation of Albert of Brandenburg to Archbishop of Mainz the Curia allowed the preaching of the St Peter's indulgence, half of whose proceeds Albert was permitted to keep; this set off Luther's protest in 1517. He waged a war over Urbino for his nephew, had a cardinal executed in 1517 and created thirty-one new cardinals, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia not a few on account of large sums of money.

Life dates

1475-1521 (about 46 years old)

Country

Germany, Italy, Vatican City

Institutions

Papal States
Roman Curia

Category

Financial misconduct

Level of evidence

B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?

Background

Course of events

1. Giovanni de' Medici was born in Florence on 11 December 1475, son of Lorenzo the Magnificent. He received the tonsure at the age of seven and was soon loaded with rich benefices. At his father's pressure Innocent VIII made the thirteen-year-old child a cardinal in 1489. He was pope from 11 March 1513 to 1 December 1521.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Absatz 1

   „pope from the 11th of March 1513 to the 1st of December 1521, was the second son of Lorenzo de’ Medici, called the Magnificent, and was born at Florence on the 11th of December 1475“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Absatz 1

   „he received the tonsure at the age of seven and was soon loaded with rich benefices and preferments“

   Evidence: Klemens Löffler, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 9 (1910), Wikisource-Ausgabe 1913, Absatz 1

   „Innocent VIII in 1489, created the thirteen year-old child a cardinal“

Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)

1. According to the Britannica he practised nepotism from the outset: he made his cousin Giulio, later Clement VII, Archbishop of Florence, cardinal and vice-chancellor. In 1517 he waged a war for his nephew Lorenzo against the Duke of Urbino, which the Britannica calls an enterprise as unscrupulous as any of Cesare Borgia's; it increased brigandage and anarchy in the Papal States and wrecked the papal finances. Guicciardini put the cost at 800,000 ducats.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Urbino

   „The pope was naturally proud of his family and had practised nepotism from the outset.“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Urbino

   „Leo was preparing an enterprise as unscrupulous as any of the similar exploits of Cesare Borgia“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Urbino

   „increased brigandage and anarchy in the States of the Church, hindered the preparations for a crusade and wrecked the papal finances“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Urbino

   „Guicciardini reckoned the cost of the war to Leo at the prodigious sum of 800,000 ducats.“

Who received the assets, who profited?

1. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia he dissipated the large treasure of Julius II in two years; by spring 1515 the exchequer was empty. To raise money he resorted to doubtful and reprehensible methods: he created new offices and dignities, even the most exalted places were put up for sale, and jubilees and indulgences were degraded almost entirely into financial transactions. In all he spent about four and a half million ducats and left a debt of 400,000 ducats.
   Evidence: Klemens Löffler, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 9 (1910), Wikisource-Ausgabe 1913, Absatz 4

   „it is not surprising that the large treasure left by Julius II was entirely dissipated in two years“

   Evidence: Klemens Löffler, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 9 (1910), Wikisource-Ausgabe 1913, Absatz 4

   „Various doubtful and reprehensible methods were resorted to for raising money. He created new offices and dignities, and the most exalted places were put up for sale. Jubilees and indulgences were degraded almost entirely into financial transactions“

   Evidence: Klemens Löffler, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 9 (1910), Wikisource-Ausgabe 1913, Absatz 4

   „In all, Leo spent about four and a half million ducats during his pontificate and left a debt amounting to 400,000 ducats.“

Response of the Church

1. Albert of Brandenburg, already Archbishop of Magdeburg, received in addition the Archbishopric of Mainz and the Bishopric of Halberstadt and in return had to raise 10,000 ducats over and above the usual fees. To indemnify him Rome allowed him to have the indulgence for the rebuilding of St Peter's preached in his territory and to keep half of the returns; the Catholic Encyclopedia calls this a transaction that brought dishonour on all concerned, and the Curia's greed for money the immediate cause of the Reformation. Against the abuses Luther posted his theses on 31 October 1517. A bull of 9 November 1518 declared that all Christians must believe in the pope's power to grant indulgences.
   Evidence: Klemens Löffler, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 9 (1910), Wikisource-Ausgabe 1913, Abschnitt Reformation

   „The immediate cause was bound up with the odious greed for money displayed by the Roman Curia“

   Evidence: Klemens Löffler, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 9 (1910), Wikisource-Ausgabe 1913, Abschnitt Reformation

   „was obliged to collect 10,000 ducats, which he was taxed over and above the usual confirmation fees“

   Evidence: Klemens Löffler, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 9 (1910), Wikisource-Ausgabe 1913, Abschnitt Reformation

   „he was allowed to keep one half the returns, a transaction which brought dishonour on all concerned in it“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Reformation

   „The pope had already authorized the extensive grant of indulgences in order to secure funds for the crusade and more particularly for the rebuilding of St Peter’s at Rome.“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Reformation

   „the dogmatic papal bull of the 9th of November to the effect that all Christians must believe in the pope’s power to grant indulgences“

See also

• 1300-1562 · 262 years

  Sale of indulgences, forgiveness of sins for money

  • Germany
  • Vatican City
  • United Kingdom
  • Financial misconduct
• Person 1 Jan 1431-18 Aug 1503 · 72 years old

  Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia)

  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Vatican City
  • Expropriation
  • Financial misconduct
• Person 1432-1492 · about 60 years old

  Pope Innocent VIII (Giovanni Battista Cibo)

  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Vatican City
  • Financial misconduct
  • Persecution
• Person 10 Nov 1483-18 Feb 1546 · 62 years old

  Martin Luther

  • Germany
  • Anti-Judaism
  • Heresy trials
• Person 1487-1555 · about 68 years old

  Pope Julius III (Giovanni Maria del Monte)

  • Italy
  • Vatican City
  • Anti-Judaism
  • Censorship
• Person 1568-1644 · about 76 years old

  Pope Urban VIII (Maffeo Barberini)

  • Italy
  • Vatican City
  • Financial misconduct
  • Heresy trials

Scholarly literature and reference works

1. Reference work
   Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): Leo X, 1 January 1911. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
2. Reference work
   Klemens Löffler, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 9 (1910), Wikisource-Ausgabe 1913: Pope Leo X, 1 January 1913. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.