Pope Urban VIII

Pope

Urban VIII
Pope; Urban VIII
Bishop of Rome
	Portrait by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, c. 1631–1632; (oil on canvas, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica)
Church	Catholic Church
Papacy began	6 August 1623
Papacy ended	29 July 1644
Predecessor	Gregory XV
Successor	Innocent X
Previous post(s)	Referendary of the Apostolic Signatura (1589–1592); Governor of Fano (1592–1604); Titular Archbishop of Nazareth (1604–1608); Apostolic Nuncio to France (1604–1606); Cardinal-Priest of San Montorio (1607–1610); Bishop of Spoleto (1608–1617); Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura (1610–1623); Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Onofrio (1610–1623); Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church (1623);
Orders
Ordination	24 September 1592
Consecration	28 October 1604; by Fabio Blondus de Montealto
Created cardinal	11 September 1606; by Paul V
Personal details
Born	Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini; 5 April 1568; Barberino Val d'Elsa, Duchy of Florence
Died	29 July 1644 (aged 76); Rome, Papal States
Parents	Antonio Barberini & Camilla Barbadoro
Signature
Coat of arms
	Other popes named Urban

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. He was also an opponent of Copernicanism and was involved in the Galileo affair, which saw the astronomer tried for heresy. He is the last pope to date to take the pontifical name Urban.