On This Day

Maffeo Barberini is elected Pope Urban VIII

Pope Urban VIII (Latin: Urbanus VIII; Italian: Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6...

Pope Urban VIII (Latin: Urbanus VIII; Italian: Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death, in July 1644. As pope, he expanded the papal territory by force of arms and advantageous politicking, and was also a prominent patron of the arts, commissioning works from artists like Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and a reformer of Church missions. His papacy also covered 21 years of the Thirty Years' War.

The massive debts incurred during his pontificate greatly weakened his successors, who were unable to maintain the papacy's longstanding political and military influence in Europe.

Historical Significance

Pope Urban VIII (Latin: Urbanus VIII; Italian: Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death, in July 1644.

Events Before

  1. Papal Chancery adopts January 1 as the beginning of the year (previously March 25)

    Papal Chancery adopts January 1 as the beginning of the year (previously March 25)

  2. First American Indian (Powhatan) massacre of Europeans around Jamestown, Virginia, 347 killed

    First American Indian (Powhatan) massacre of Europeans around Jamestown, Virginia, 347 killed

  3. Pope Gregory XV forms Congregatio the Propagande Fide

    The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (CEP; Latin: Congregatio pro Gentium Evangelizatione) was a congregation of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church in Rome, responsible for...

  4. Germany & Transylvania sign Peace of Nikolsburg

    Germany & Transylvania sign Peace of Nikolsburg

  5. English East India Company forces capture the Portuguese fort on the island of Hormus in the Persian Gulf, an important

    English East India Company forces capture the Portuguese fort on the island of Hormus in the Persian Gulf, an important trading center on the route to Mughal India

Events After

  1. The first submarine is publicly tested in London on the Thames for King James I

    The first submarine is publicly tested in London on the Thames for King James I

  2. Sir Thomas Warner founds the first English colony in the Caribbean, on Saint Kitts.

    Sir Thomas Warner founds the first English colony in the Caribbean, on Saint Kitts.

  3. England declares war on Spain

    England declares war on Spain

  4. Spanish silver fleet sails to Panama

    Spanish silver fleet sails to Panama

  5. Dutch Nassau fleet reaches port of Callao in Peru intending to ransack the annual Spanish silver ship convoy, misses the

    Dutch Nassau fleet reaches port of Callao in Peru intending to ransack the annual Spanish silver ship convoy, misses them by five days [1]

More from the 1620s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 6, 1623?
Pope Urban VIII (Latin: Urbanus VIII; Italian: Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death, in July 1644. As pope, he expanded the papal territory by force of arms and advantageous politicking, and was also a prominent patron of the arts, commissioning works from artists like Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and a reformer of Church missions. His papacy also covered 21 years of the Thirty Years' War.
Why is Maffeo Barberini is elected Pope Urban VIII significant?
Pope Urban VIII (Latin: Urbanus VIII; Italian: Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death, in July 1644.

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