Leo X (1475-1521), who was pope from 1513 to 1521, was a lavish patron of the arts and an international political manipulator. The Reformation began during his reign. In the second half of the 15th century the Renaissance was in full swing in Italy....

Twenty-five years as pope is no small thing. When John Paul II celebrates his papal jubilee this October 16, he will be only the third pope in history to have done so. So rare is the milestone that when Pius IX (1846-1878) reached...

GIUSEPPE MELCHIORRE Sarto, patriarch and cardinal of Venice from 1893, the son of an Italian village postman, was sixty-eight when he was chosen to succeed Pope Leo XIII. His choice of name was significant, aligning him with Pius IX, who had earlier denounced...

A rare portrait by Renaissance master Raphael that shows a Florentine ruler from the famed Medici family will be offered at a public auction this summer, Christie's said Monday.Christie's expects the portrait to fetch a record $19.7 million to $29.5 million. The record price for...

Today is Friday, June 15, the 166th day of 2007. There are 199 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On June 15, 1215, England's King John put his seal to Magna Carta ("the Great Charter") at Runnymede.On this date:In 1520, Pope Leo X threatened...