1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: While he watched the funeral of one pope earlier this 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 1: month and the election of another Pope, Leo the fourteenth, 3 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: whose inaugural mass was just this week. But there was 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:12,880 Speaker 1: another Leo, Pope Leo the tenth, and his reign was 5 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: one of the wildest in history. A cardinal at the 6 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: age of thirteen, he was elected pope in fifteen thirteen 7 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: at the age of just thirty eight, and for him 8 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 1: it was all about partying to excess. I'm Paddi Steele, 9 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: party like a pope. That's next on the backstory. The 10 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: backstory is back. Born Giovanni de Lorenzo de Medici in 11 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:41,840 Speaker 1: fourteen seventy five, Pope Leo the tenth had a lot 12 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: to live up to right from the beginning. His father 13 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 1: was known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, as a little intimidating 14 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: for his kid, and the Medici family was the most 15 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: powerful in their city of Florence, and in fact in 16 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: all of Italy. For a time, they were the richest 17 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: family in Europe. They had interests in politics, banking, and 18 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: of course the church. In fact, Leo the tenth was 19 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: the first of four Medici popes, as well as two 20 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: queens of France, including the controversial Catherine de Medici. So 21 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: they held on to their power for centuries. What did 22 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: they do well? The Medici family paid for the rebuilding 23 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, and they financially backed 24 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:26,759 Speaker 1: artists and scientists like Donatello Barticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, 25 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: Raphael Machiavelli, and Galileo, among many others. They actually funded 26 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: the invention of the piano as well as opera as 27 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 1: we know it. So young Giovanni was propelled into power 28 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: by his family legacy and by his father, Lorenzo the Magnificent. Amazingly, 29 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: he was made a cardinal at the age of just thirteen. 30 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: He grew up in the lap of luxury, deeply cultured 31 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: and totally political, and he loved that life. His father 32 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: wanted each of his sons to be even more influential 33 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: than he was himself. So what's next after you've become 34 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: a cardinal at thirteen. Well, in fifteen thirteen, Giovanni reached 35 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: the pinnacle at just thirty eight years of age. Following 36 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: the death of Pope Julius the Second, Giovanni de Medici 37 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: was elected pope. He took the name Leo the Tenth. 38 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: Now it was time to party like a king, or 39 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: in his case, like a pope. The celebrations were insanely extravagant. 40 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: Leo famously said, since God has given us the papacy, 41 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: let us enjoy it. He wanted to live like a king, 42 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: and boy did he no vow of poverty. For him. 43 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: His life was all about extravagant feasts, huge parties, and 44 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 1: throwing around huge sums of money to fund the arts 45 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: and culture. The papal court of Leo the Tenth rivaled 46 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: that of any king or queen in Europe. Masterpieces funded 47 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 1: by him and created by Michelangelo, Raphael and others are 48 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: considered priceless today. But Leo wanted more. He was involved 49 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: in a lot of political intrigue, and his military ambitions 50 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:06,079 Speaker 1: pushed him to gather even more territorial and political power, 51 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,920 Speaker 1: and so he built a powerful army to secure the 52 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: takeover of more territories for the Medici family, and he 53 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 1: went to war. That's where it started to get sticky. 54 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: He was spending huge amounts of church money on his battles, 55 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 1: and there were people within the Church that started to 56 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: question it. Most notably the German priest Martin Luther. Pope 57 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: Leo attempted to raise money, ostensibly for the church, but 58 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: mostly to fund his own extravagant lifestyle, his artistic ambitions, 59 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: and his military by selling what are called indulgences. These 60 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: were essentially documents promising forgiveness and reduce time in purgatory 61 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: for a price. Wow, we could all use that now. 62 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: In Germany, a friar working with Leo became infamous for 63 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: selling these indulgences. His sales pitch as soon as a 64 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: coin in the Kaufer Rings a soul from per progatory springs. 65 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: Martin Luther was furious over the corrupt money and the 66 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: departure from honesty and spirituality. So this was actually the 67 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: beginning of the Protestant Reformation and the division of the Church. 68 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: All thanks to Leo. Martin Luther, helped by the newly 69 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: invented printing press, was able to spread his angry message 70 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: all over Europe. Leo, the Party Pope, at first thought 71 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: it was no big deal that Luther was really just 72 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: to nobody, but soon his ideas spread like wildfire, and 73 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: Leo's luxurious lifestyle was suddenly an easy target. For criticism. 74 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:42,280 Speaker 1: Luther openly denounced the pope's excesses, contrasting his lavish lifestyle 75 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 1: in Rome with the humble teachings of Jesus Christ. The 76 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: Pope's extravagant banquets, elaborate parties, and intense political meddling validated 77 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:55,919 Speaker 1: Luther's claims. Now Leo was starting to get irritated. He 78 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: denounced Luther, calling him a heretic. He said he'd be 79 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: excommunicating if he didn't retract his statements about Leo. Martin 80 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: Luther decided to double down on his attacks, and finally, 81 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: in January of fifteen twenty one, Leo the Tenth excommunicated Luther. 82 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: But instead of silencing him, the excommunication put Luther squarely 83 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: in the spotlight. All over Germany and beyond, everybody began 84 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,679 Speaker 1: to follow Martin Luther and denounce the medici Pope Leo. 85 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: They all agreed the church needed to change. Leo had 86 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:35,040 Speaker 1: indirectly transformed Luther's criticism into a political and religious revolution, 87 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: the Protestant Reformation. But Leo didn't get it. He kept 88 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: spending money and trying to gather power. He lavishly entertained 89 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 1: he lived like a king, completely oblivious to criticism. In 90 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: doing so, he had ignited one of history's most profound 91 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: religious and cultural upheavals. He's remembered for his artistic and 92 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:01,919 Speaker 1: cultural contributions, but he was completely led in any spiritual direction. 93 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: Martin Luther went on to create the Lutheran Church and 94 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: to inspire other Protestant religions, changing the religious and cultural 95 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: landscape all over Europe. As for Pope Leo the Tenth, 96 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: the Partying Metichi Pope, he died of pneumonia just months 97 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:22,919 Speaker 1: after excommunicating Martin Luther. He was just forty five years old. 98 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,279 Speaker 1: Hope you're enjoying The Backstory with Patty steel Please leave 99 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: a review and follow or subscribe for free to get 100 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 1: new episodes delivered automatically. Also feel free to DM me 101 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 1: if you have a story you'd like me to cover. 102 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:40,160 Speaker 1: On Facebook, It's Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele. 103 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: I'm Patty Steele. The Backstory is a production of iHeartMedia, 104 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:52,160 Speaker 1: Premier Networks, the Elvis Durand Group, and Steel Trap Productions. 105 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: Our producer is Doug Fraser. Our writer Jake Kushner. We 106 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: have new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Feel free to 107 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,600 Speaker 1: reach out to me with comments and even story suggestions 108 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:06,040 Speaker 1: on Instagram at real Patty Steele and on Facebook at 109 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: Patty Steele. Thanks for listening to the backstory with Patty Steele, 110 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: the pieces of history you didn't know you needed to know.