Julius II Takes the Keys

August 18, 1503

The formidable Giuliano della Rovere, nicknamed il Papa Terribile, swept into the papal chair after a lightning conclave. A warrior pope who preferred armor to vestments, he would personally besiege cities, bankroll Michelangelo, and commission Bramante to tear down and rebuild Saint Peter's. His patronage of Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bramante made his pontificate one of the most artistically productive in history.