Pope Sixtus V

Born Felice Piergentile in December 1521, he joined the Franciscans as a young man and rose through talent — sharp as a scholar, compelling as a preacher. Pius V saw something in him and made him a cardinal; he was known then as Cardinal Montalto. When he became pope in April 1585, he moved fast: stamped out corruption and crime across Rome, then launched a massive rebuilding program that razed antiquities to make way for his vision of the city. The costs ran high — heavy taxes brought widespread suffering — and his foreign ambitions matched the scale. He excommunicated Henry IV of France and…