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220th Roman Pontiff
Paul III
PAVLVS Tertius
Alessandro Farnese
220th Successor of St Peter · 1534–1549 · Italy · b. Canino, Papal States
1534
Elected
1549
Reign ended
15 years
Length
16th
Century
The Life
Subject and later the sovereign of the Papal States. Recognized the Jesuits (1540). Opened the Council of Trent (1545). His illegitimate son became the first duke of Parma. Decreed the second and final excommunication of King Henry VIII of England. Appointed Michelangelo to supervise construction of St. Peter's Basilica (1546).
Portrait: Titian / Wikimedia Commons