Pope Pius VI

Pope from 1775 to 1799, born Giovanni Angelo Braschi, whose pontificate was disrupted by the French Revolution and ended in French captivity.

Papal conclave of 1774–1775: The conclave that elected Giovanni Angelo Braschi pope as Pius VI in February 1775. It brought Braschi to the papacy after a long election shaped by European rivalries.
Treaty of Tolentino: The 1797 treaty in which Pius VI ceded territory and paid France after its invasion of the Papal States. Pius VI accepted its demands after French military victories left little room to resist.
Giovanni Angelo Braschi: The birth name of Pope Pius VI, who was born in Cesena in 1717. This is the name under which he pursued his career before becoming pope.
French Revolution: A period of political and social upheaval in France from 1789 to 1799 that ended the monarchy and transformed European politics. Its anti-clerical measures and military expansion repeatedly constrained Pius VI.
Pope Clement XIV: Pope from 1769 to 1774 who suppressed the Society of Jesus in 1773. Braschi served as Clement XIV’s treasurer before succeeding him.
French invasion of the Papal States: The French military campaign that occupied the Papal States in 1796–1797 and led to the creation of the Roman Republic. The invasion supplied the force behind his territorial concessions and eventual removal.
Pope Pius VII: Pope from 1800 to 1823 who was also imprisoned by Napoleon from 1809 to 1814. He succeeded Pius VI after the latter died in French custody.
Anti-clericalism: Opposition to the influence or privileges of clergy and religious institutions in public life. Revolutionary hostility to clerical power framed the conflict with Pius VI.
Society of Jesus: A Catholic religious order founded by Ignatius of Loyola in 1540 and restored in 1814. The Jesuit suppression by Clement XIV shaped the church Braschi inherited.
Roman Republic: A French-backed republic established in Rome in 1798 after French forces displaced papal government. Its proclamation was followed by Pius VI’s expulsion from Rome.

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