biography
| name: |
Pius VI
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| |
originally Giovanni Angelo Braschi
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1717–99)
|
| biography:
| Pope (1775–99), born in Cesena, E Italy. He became a cardinal in 1773. As pope he failed to restrain the reforming Emperor Joseph from curtailing papal privileges. The confiscation of Church property in France during the French Revolution was followed by the murder of the French agent in Rome (1793), which gave the Directory an excuse to attack Italy. Napoleon took possession of several provinces, which were formally surrendered by Pius in 1797. The murder of a member of the French embassy was then avenged by Berthier's taking possession of Rome. Pius was expelled from Rome, seized by the French (1799), and died soon after. |
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