Julius II was one of the most remarkable and colourful men ever to sit on the papal throne. His determination, ambition, passion for action and notorious temper were more suited to the soldier he probably would have preferred to be, than to the ecclesiastical potentate he became under the patronage of his uncle, Pope Sixtus IV. As a cardinal for thirty years before his own election in 1503, Julius II enjoyed a long career at the center of political life in Renaissance Italy. After becoming pope, he revived temporarly the authority of the papacy by his military campaigns. He was also an outstanding patron of the arts, commissioning works such as the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Many of his actions, however, compromised the papacy's spiritual authority, contributing to Martin Luther's crisis of conscience. This book is the first biography of Julius II to be based on an extensive use of archival sources. It includes new material about Julius's career as a cardinal, providing fresh perspectives on his policies as pope. The reports of those who negotiated with him, those who spied on him, ridiculed and admired him, are used to depict the vivid personality of the 'papa terribile' and the impact that he made on his times.
