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{{lead too short|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox Christian leader | type = Pope
{{Infobox Christian leader | type = Pope
|honorific-prefix=Pope Saint
|honorific-prefix=Pope Saint
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===Saracen defenses===
===Saracen defenses===
He immediately began to repair the [[Arab raid against Rome|damage done]] to various churches of the city by the [[Saracens]] during the reign of his predecessor. He restored and embellished the damaged [[[[Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls|Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura]] and [[St. Peter's Basilica|St. Peter's]]. The latter's altar again received its gold covering (after being stolen), which weighed 206&nbsp;lb. and was studded with precious gems. Following the restoration of St. Peter's, Leo appealed to the Christian kingdoms to confront the Arab raiders.<ref>Pierre Riche, ''The Carolingians:A Family who forged Europe'', transl. Michael Idomir Allen, (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993), 175.</ref>
He immediately began to repair the [[Arab raid against Rome|damage done]] to various churches of the city by the [[Saracens]] during the reign of his predecessor. He restored and embellished the damaged [[Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls|Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura]] and [[St. Peter's Basilica|St. Peter's]]. The latter's altar again received its gold covering (after being stolen), which weighed 206&nbsp;lb. and was studded with precious gems. Following the restoration of St. Peter's, Leo appealed to the Christian kingdoms to confront the Arab raiders.<ref>Pierre Riche, ''The Carolingians:A Family who forged Europe'', transl. Michael Idomir Allen, (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993), 175.</ref>


Leo also took precautions against further raids. He put the walls of the city into a thorough state of repair, entirely rebuilding fifteen of the great towers. He was the first to enclose the Vatican hill by a wall. Leo ordered a new line of walls encompassing the suburb on the right bank of the [[Tiber]] to be built, including [[St. Peter's Basilica]], which had been undefended until this time. The district enclosed by the walls is still known as the [[Leonine City]], and corresponds to the later [[rioni of Rome|rione]] of Borgo. To do this, he received money from the emperor, and help from all the cities and agricultural colonies (domus cultae) of the Duchy of Rome. The work took him four years to accomplish, and the newly fortified portion was called the Leonine City, after him.<ref>Gregorovius, Ferdinand. ''History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages'', vol. 3, (Annie Hamilton, tr.), 1903 ch. III "The Leonine City" pp 95ff.</ref>
Leo also took precautions against further raids. He put the walls of the city into a thorough state of repair, entirely rebuilding fifteen of the great towers. He was the first to enclose the Vatican hill by a wall. Leo ordered a new line of walls encompassing the suburb on the right bank of the [[Tiber]] to be built, including [[St. Peter's Basilica]], which had been undefended until this time. The district enclosed by the walls is still known as the [[Leonine City]], and corresponds to the later [[rioni of Rome|rione]] of Borgo. To do this, he received money from the emperor, and help from all the cities and agricultural colonies (domus cultae) of the Duchy of Rome. The work took him four years to accomplish, and the newly fortified portion was called the Leonine City, after him.<ref>Gregorovius, Ferdinand. ''History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages'', vol. 3, (Annie Hamilton, tr.), 1903 ch. III "The Leonine City" pp 95ff.</ref>


===Battle of Ostia===
===Battle of Ostia===
⚫
[[File:Battle of Ostia (1829 engraving).jpg|thumb|left|upright|The Battle of Ostia, 1829 engraving.]]
In 849, when a Saracen fleet from Sardinia approached [[Portus]], the Pope summoned the [[Repubbliche Marinare]] (or mariner cities of Italy) – [[Naples]], Gaeta and [[Amalfi]] – to form a league. The command of the unified fleet was given to [[Caesar of Naples|Cesarius]], son of Duke [[Sergius I of Naples]]. Aided by a fierce storm, the Saracen fleet was destroyed off Ostia.<ref name=ce/> The Battle of Ostia was one of the most famous in history of the Papacy of the [[Middle Ages]] and is celebrated in a famous [[fresco]] by [[Raphael]] and his pupils in his [[Raphael Rooms|rooms]] of the [[Vatican Palace]] in the [[Vatican City]].
In 849, when a Saracen fleet from Sardinia approached [[Portus]], the Pope summoned the [[Repubbliche Marinare]] (or mariner cities of Italy) – [[Naples]], Gaeta and [[Amalfi]] – to form a league. The command of the unified fleet was given to [[Caesar of Naples|Cesarius]], son of Duke [[Sergius I of Naples]]. Aided by a fierce storm, the Saracen fleet was destroyed off Ostia.<ref name=ce/> The Battle of Ostia was one of the most famous in history of the Papacy of the [[Middle Ages]] and is celebrated in a famous [[fresco]] by [[Raphael]] and his pupils in his [[Raphael Rooms|rooms]] of the [[Vatican Palace]] in the [[Vatican City]].


A separate incident in Leo's life celebrated by the [[Urbino|Urbinate]] in his series of frescoes for the ''Incendio di Borgo'' is the fire in the pilgrims' district of Rome (the "[[Borgo (rione of Rome)|Borgo]]"), which, according to legend, was stopped by Leo making the sign of the cross.
A separate incident in Leo's life celebrated by the [[Urbino|Urbinate]] in his series of frescoes for the ''Incendio di Borgo'' is the fire in the pilgrims' district of Rome (the "[[Borgo (rione of Rome)|Borgo]]"), which, according to legend, was stopped by Leo making the sign of the cross.


Leo IV held three [[synod]]s, the one in 850 distinguished by the presence of [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor|Louis II]], but the other two of little importance. In 863, he travelled to Ravenna to settle a dispute with the archbishop. As the archbishop was a good terms with Emperor [[Lothair I]], the pope had little success.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=bZ6eJuZfTAEC&pg=PA75&lpg=PA75&dq=Guy+III+of+Spoleto&source=bl&ots=oKP3XUQIvw&sig=SBcv2TkfkhG6fyrQ93jfwVuLp2A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjBio727bzWAhVKqFQKHZXUAiQ4FBDoAQgrMAI#v=onepage&q=Guy%20III%20of%20Spoleto&f=false Partner, Peter. ''The Lands of St. Peter: The Papal State in the Middle Ages and the Early Renaissance'', University of California Press, 1972, ISBN 9780520021815, p. 62]]</ref> The history of the papal struggle with [[Hincmar of Reims]], which began during Leo's pontificate, belongs properly to that of [[Pope Nicholas I|Nicholas I]].
⚫
[[File:Battle of Ostia (1829 engraving).jpg|thumb|left|upright|The Battle of Ostia in an 1829 engraving.]]

Leo IV held three [[synod]]s, the one in 850 distinguished by the presence of [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor|Louis II]], but the other two of little importance. The history of the papal struggle with [[Hincmar of Reims]], which began during Leo's pontificate, belongs properly to that of [[Pope Nicholas I|Nicholas I]].


==Death==
==Death and Burial==
Leo IV died on 17 July 855 and was buried in St. Peter's Basilica. [[Pope Benedict III|Benedict III]] was Leo's immediate successor. A medieval tradition claimed that a woman, [[Pope Joan]], succeeded him, disguising herself as a man, but Joan is generally believed to be fictitious.
Leo IV died on 17 July 855 and succeeded by [[Pope Benedict III|Benedict III]].


⚫
Leo IV was originally buried in his own monument in St. Peter's Basilica, however some years after his death, his remains were put into a tomb that contained the first four Pope Leos. In the 18th century, the relics of [[Leo the Great]] were separated from the other Leos and given their own chapel.<ref>{{cite book|last=Reardon|first=Wendy|title=The deaths of the Popes}}</ref>
==Burial==
⚫
Leo IV was originally buried in his own monument, however some years after his death, his remains were put into a tomb that contained the first four Pope Leos. In the 18th century, the relics of [[Leo the Great]] were separated from the other Leos and given their own chapel.<ref>{{cite book|last=Reardon|first=Wendy|title=The deaths of the Popes.|date=McFarland}}</ref>


==Iconography==
==Iconography==

Revision as of 04:35, 24 September 2017

Pope Saint

Leo IV
Papacy began10 April 847
Papacy ended17 July 855
PredecessorSergius II
SuccessorBenedict III
Personal details
Born790
Rome, Papal States
Died(855-07-17)17 July 855
Rome, Papal States
Sainthood
Venerated inRoman Catholic Church
Attributes
  • Papal vestments
  • Rooster
Other popes named Leo
Papal styles of
Pope Leo IV
Reference styleHis Holiness
Spoken styleYour Holiness
Religious styleHoly Father
Posthumous styleSaint

Pope Saint Leo IV (790 – 17 July 855) was pope from 10 April 847 to his death in 855. He is remembered for repairing Roman churches that had been damaged during Arab raids on Rome, and for building the Leonine Wall around Vatican Hill. Pope Leo organized a league of Italian cities who fought the sea Battle of Ostia against the Saracens.

Life

A Roman by birth, Leo received his early education at Rome in the monastery of St. Martin, near St. Peter's. He attracted the notice of Pope Gregory IV, who made him a subdeacon; and was created Cardinal-Priest of the church of the Quatuor Coronati by Pope Sergius II.[1]

In April 847, Leo was unanimously chosen to succeed Sergius II. As the attack of the Saracens on Rome in 846 caused the people to fear for the safety of the city, he was consecrated on 10 April, 847 without waiting for the consent of the emperor.[1]

Saracen defenses

He immediately began to repair the damage done to various churches of the city by the Saracens during the reign of his predecessor. He restored and embellished the damaged Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura and St. Peter's. The latter's altar again received its gold covering (after being stolen), which weighed 206 lb. and was studded with precious gems. Following the restoration of St. Peter's, Leo appealed to the Christian kingdoms to confront the Arab raiders.[2]

Leo also took precautions against further raids. He put the walls of the city into a thorough state of repair, entirely rebuilding fifteen of the great towers. He was the first to enclose the Vatican hill by a wall. Leo ordered a new line of walls encompassing the suburb on the right bank of the Tiber to be built, including St. Peter's Basilica, which had been undefended until this time. The district enclosed by the walls is still known as the Leonine City, and corresponds to the later rione of Borgo. To do this, he received money from the emperor, and help from all the cities and agricultural colonies (domus cultae) of the Duchy of Rome. The work took him four years to accomplish, and the newly fortified portion was called the Leonine City, after him.[3]

Battle of Ostia

The Battle of Ostia, 1829 engraving.

In 849, when a Saracen fleet from Sardinia approached Portus, the Pope summoned the Repubbliche Marinare (or mariner cities of Italy) – Naples, Gaeta and Amalfi – to form a league. The command of the unified fleet was given to Cesarius, son of Duke Sergius I of Naples. Aided by a fierce storm, the Saracen fleet was destroyed off Ostia.[1] The Battle of Ostia was one of the most famous in history of the Papacy of the Middle Ages and is celebrated in a famous fresco by Raphael and his pupils in his rooms of the Vatican Palace in the Vatican City.

A separate incident in Leo's life celebrated by the Urbinate in his series of frescoes for the Incendio di Borgo is the fire in the pilgrims' district of Rome (the "Borgo"), which, according to legend, was stopped by Leo making the sign of the cross.

Leo IV held three synods, the one in 850 distinguished by the presence of Holy Roman Emperor Louis II, but the other two of little importance. In 863, he travelled to Ravenna to settle a dispute with the archbishop. As the archbishop was a good terms with Emperor Lothair I, the pope had little success.[4] The history of the papal struggle with Hincmar of Reims, which began during Leo's pontificate, belongs properly to that of Nicholas I.

Death and Burial

Leo IV died on 17 July 855 and succeeded by Benedict III.

Leo IV was originally buried in his own monument in St. Peter's Basilica, however some years after his death, his remains were put into a tomb that contained the first four Pope Leos. In the 18th century, the relics of Leo the Great were separated from the other Leos and given their own chapel.[5]

Iconography

Leo IV had the figure of a rooster placed on the Old St. Peter's Basilica or old Constantinian basilica[6] which has served as a religious icon and reminder of Peter's denial of Christ since that time, with some churches still having the cockerel on the steeple today. It is reputed that Pope Gregory I had previously said that the cock (rooster) "was the most suitable emblem of Christianity", being "the emblem of St Peter".[7][8] After Leo IV, Pope Nicholas I, who had been made a deacon by Leo IV, decreed that the figure of the cock (rooster) should be placed on every church.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Mann, Horace. "Pope St. Leo IV." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 23 September 2017
  2. ^ Pierre Riche, The Carolingians:A Family who forged Europe, transl. Michael Idomir Allen, (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993), 175.
  3. ^ Gregorovius, Ferdinand. History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages, vol. 3, (Annie Hamilton, tr.), 1903 ch. III "The Leonine City" pp 95ff.
  4. ^ Partner, Peter. The Lands of St. Peter: The Papal State in the Middle Ages and the Early Renaissance, University of California Press, 1972, ISBN 9780520021815, p. 62]
  5. ^ Reardon, Wendy. The deaths of the Popes.
  6. ^ ST PETER'S BASILICA.ORG - Providing information on St. Peter's Basilica and Square in the Vatican City - The Treasury Museum [1]
  7. ^ John G. R. Forlong, Encyclopedia of Religions: A-d - Page 471
  8. ^ The Antiquary: a magazine devoted to the study of the past, Volume 17 edited by Edward Walford, John Charles Cox, George Latimer Apperson - page 202 [2]
  9. ^ How the Chicken Conquered the World - By Jerry Adler and Andrew Lawler - Smithsonian magazine, June 2012 [3]

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Pope St. Leo IV". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

Sources

  • Cheetham, Nicolas, Keepers of the Keys, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1983. ISBN 0-684-17863-X
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Pope
847–855 		Succeeded by
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