Voting Station

Pope Julius III

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Religious Figure

The Resume

    (September 10, 1487-March 23, 1555)
    Born in Rome, Italy
    Birth name was Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte
    Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina (1536-50)
    222nd Pope (1550-55)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was elected pope as a compromise candidate after the candidates backed by France and the Holy Roman Empire deadlocked.
    He was described as 'naturally indolent.'
    During his reign, he did little to reform the Catholic Church in response to the rise of Protestantism.
    He spent Church funds on improving his private villa.
    His villa was decorated with frescos depicting cherubs playing with each other's genitals.
    He became infatuated with a teenaged street urchin named Innocenzo, had his brother adopt him, then made him a cardinal, despite Innocenzo being illiterate and otherwise incapable of performing the duties of the office.
    He also gave a number of valuable properties to Innocenzo.
    The less scandalous explanation for the Pope's generosity was the suggestion that Innocenzo might have been his bastard son.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was an expert in canon law.
    During the sack of Rome, Pope Clement VII handed him over to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V as a hostage, and he barely escaped execution.
    He appointed Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina director of the papal choir.
    He named Michelangelo chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 121 Votes: 48.76% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 50 Votes: 46.00% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 7 Votes: 28.57% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 191 Votes: 51.31% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 121 Votes: 47.11% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 21 Votes: 47.62% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 61 Votes: 50.82% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 104 Votes: 67.31% Annoying