Editing Pope Julius II (section)

==Overview of the Italian politics of his reign==
[[File:Scuola veneta, busto di papa giulio II della rovere, 1503-13 ca.jpg|thumb|Bust of Julius II]]
Julius II became pope in the context of the [[Italian Wars]], a period in which the major powers of Europe fought for primacy in the Italian Peninsula. [[Louis XII of France]] controlled the [[Duchy of Milan]], previously held by the [[Sforza]]s, and French influence had replaced that of the [[Medici]] in the [[Republic of Florence]]. The [[Kingdom of Naples]] was under Aragonese rule, and the [[House of Borgia|Borja]] family from Spain was a major political faction in the [[Papal States]] following the reign of [[Pope Alexander VI|Alexander VI]]. Archduke [[Maximilian I of Austria]] was hostile to France and Venice, and desired to descend into Italy in order to be crowned [[Holy Roman Emperor]] by the pope. The [[conclave capitulation]] preceding his election included several terms, such as the opening of an [[ecumenical council]] and the organization of a crusade against the [[Ottoman Turks]]. Once crowned, Julius II proclaimed instead his goal to centralize the Papal States (in large part a patchwork of communes and ''signorie'') and "free Italy from the barbarians".<ref>{{cite book| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=jzm2Vu9h-CYC&dq=Julius+II+barbarians&pg=PA365| title = Above all, the notion of Julius II for barbarian hostilty seems to have been a genuine inspiration...the Pope's desired derived...from the Pope's harbouring an ancient grudge against them, or because over the years his suspicion grew into hate, or because he desired 'the glory of being the man who liberated Italy from the barbarians'| isbn = 978-0907628965| last1 = Hay| first1 = Denys| date = 1951| publisher = A&C Black}}</ref>

In his early years as pope, Julius II removed the Borjas from power and exiled them to Spain. [[Cesare Borgia]], Duke of Romagna, shared the same fate and lost his possessions.
[[File:Burgkmair Julius II.jpg|thumb|[[Woodcut]] by [[Hans Burgkmair]]]]

He joined an anti-Venetian [[League of Cambrai|league formed in Cambrai]] between [[Kingdom of France|France]], Spain, and [[Habsburg monarchy|Austria]], with the goal of capturing the coast of [[Romagna]] from the [[Venetian Republic]]. Having achieved this goal, he formed an anti-French "Holy League" with Venice following the defeat of the latter at the [[Battle of Agnadello]]. His main goal was now again to "expel the barbarians" (''Fuori i Barbari!''). Julius II brought the Catholic [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]] into the alliance, declaring Naples a papal fief and promising a formal investiture.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jNWEVpFiteQC&q=at+this+juncture+the+Pope+sought+toevict&pg=PA34|title=Mutazioni e permanenze nella storia navale del Mediterraneo. Secc. XVI–XIX. Annali di Storia Militare Europea 2: Secc. XVI–XIX. Annali di Storia Militare Europea 2|first=AA|last=VV|date=2010|publisher=FrancoAngeli|via=Google Books|isbn=978-8856826494}}</ref>
Having previously declared that the [[imperial election]] was sufficient for Maximilian to style himself as [[Holy Roman Emperor]], he later obtained Habsburg support against France as well. Julius II personally led the papal armed forces at the victorious [[Siege of Mirandola (1511)|Siege of Mirandola]] and, despite subsequent defeats and great losses at the [[Battle of Ravenna (1512)|Battle of Ravenna]], he ultimately forced the French troops of Louis XII to retreat behind the Alps after the arrival of [[Swiss mercenaries]] from the [[Holy Roman Empire]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lTx_CwAAQBAJ&q=Julius+II+free+Italy+from+the+barbarians&pg=PT18|title=History's Great Showdowns|first=Edwin S.|last=Grosvenor|date=2016|publisher=New Word City|via=Google Books|isbn=978-1612309422}}</ref>

At the Congress of [[Mantua]] in 1512, Julius II ordered the restoration of Italian families to power in the vacuum of French rule: the Imperial Swiss led by [[Massimiliano Sforza]] restored Sforza rule in Milan, and a Spanish army led by [[Pope Leo X|Giovanni de Medici]] restored Medici rule in Florence. The Kingdom of Naples was recognized as a [[papal fief]]. The Venetians regained their territories lost to France, and the Papal States annexed [[Duchy of Parma and Piacenza|Parma]] and [[Duchy of Modena and Reggio|Modena]]. The [[conciliarism|conciliarist]] movement promoted by foreign monarchs was crushed, and Julius II affirmed [[ultramontanism]] at the [[Fifth Lateran Council]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Jokinen|first= Anniina|title=Pope Julius II|website= Luminarium|date= 15 March 2003|access-date= 7 October 2013|url=http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/julius2.htm}}</ref> This is often presented in traditional historiography as the moment in which Renaissance Italy came the closest to unification after the end of the [[Italic League]] of the 15th century. However, Julius II was far away from the possibility to form a single Italian kingdom, if that was his goal at all, since foreign armies were largely involved in his wars and the French were preparing new campaigns against the Swiss for Milan. Naples, even if recognized as a papal fief, was still under Aragon and in fact Julius II was planning to end Spanish presence in the south.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k2ZoAAAAMAAJ&q=Giulio+II+cardinal+d'aragona|title=Italia dilacerata: Girolamo Borgia nella Cultura storica del Rinascimento|first=Elena|last=Valeri|date=2007|publisher=F. Angeli|via=Google Books|isbn=978-8846485595}}</ref> Nevertheless, by the end of his pontificate, the papal objective to make the Church the main force in the Italian Wars was achieved. At the [[Roman Carnival]] of 1513, Julius II presented himself as the "liberator of Italy".<ref>''Roma, Romae'', Marina Formica, Editori Laterza, 2019, p. 53</ref>

Julius planned to call for a crusade against the [[Ottoman Empire]] in order to retake [[Constantinople]], but died before making official announcements.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DrEYAQAAMAAJ&q=Julius+II+crusad+in+constantinople|title=Studi Veneziani|date=1995|publisher=Giardini|via=Google Books}}</ref> His successor, Pope Leo X, along with Emperor Maximilian, would re-establish the [[status quo ante bellum]] in Italy by ratifying the treaties of Brussels and Noyon in 1516; France regained control of Milan after the victory of [[Francis I of France|Francis I]] at the [[Battle of Marignano]], and Spain was recognized as the ruler of Naples.