Editing Pope Leo XIII (section)

== Early life and education (1810–1836) ==

[[File:Palazzo Pecci Carpineto italiano paolucci.jpg|thumb|right|The house in [[Carpineto Romano]] in which the Pecci brothers grew up.]]

Gioacchino Pecci was born in [[Carpineto Romano]], near Rome, the sixth of the seven children of [[Count]] Domenico Ludovico Pecci (2 June 1767 – 8 March 1833), [[Patrician (post-Roman Europe)|Patrician]] of [[Siena]], [[Colonel]] of the [[French Army]] under [[Napoleon]], and his wife Anna Francesca Prosperi-Buzzi (1773 – 9 August 1824).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, aka Pope Leo XIII |url=https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/G8SD-Y92 |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=www.familysearch.org}}</ref> His uncle Giuseppe Pecci was a [[protonotary apostolic]] and [[referendary]] of the Signature of Justice and died in 1806. His brothers included [[Giuseppe Pecci|Giuseppe]] and Giovanni Battista or Giambattista Pecci (26 October 1802 – 28 March 1882), 1st Count Pecci, who married on 8 August 1851 Angela Salina (7 February 1830 – 9 October 1899) and had issue, and sister Anna Maria Pecci, wife of Michelangelo Pecci. Until 1818, he lived at home with his family "in which religion counted as the highest grace on earth, as through her, salvation can be earned for all eternity".{{Sfn|Kühne|1880|p=7}} Together with Giuseppe, he studied in the [[Jesuit]] College in [[Viterbo]] until 1824.{{Sfn|Kühne|1880|p=12}} He enjoyed [[Latin]] and was known to have written his own Latin poems at the age of eleven.{{efn|Leo is said to have been the last Pope to have directly composed his writings in Latin, rather than have them translated into Latin.<ref>Stravinskas, P., [https://web.archive.org/web/20221011093118/https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2022/10/11/on-pope-john-xxiiis-opening-address-at-the-second-vatican-council/ On Pope John XXIII’s opening Address at the Second Vatican Council], ''The Catholic World Report'', published and archived on 11 October 2022, accessed on 1 November 2024</ref>}} Leo was a descendant of the Italian leader [[Cola di Rienzo]] on his mother's side.<ref>{{Cite book |title=A Generation of Materialism 1871–1900 |last=Hayes |first=Carlton J.H |date=1941 |page=142}}</ref>

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His siblings were:<ref name="LAT" />
*Carlo (1793–1879)
*Anna Maria (1798–1870)
*Caterina (1800–1867)
*Giovanni Battista (1802–1881)
*[[Giuseppe Pecci|Giuseppe]] (1807–1890)
*Fernando (1813–1830)

In 1824, he and Giuseppe were called to Rome, where their mother was dying. Count Pecci wanted his children near him after the loss of his wife and so they stayed with him in Rome and attended the Jesuit [[Collegium Romanum]].

In 1828, the 18-year-old Vincenzo decided in favour of [[secular clergy]], and Giuseppe entered the Jesuit order.{{Sfn|Kühne|1880|p=20}} Vincenzo studied at the [[Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy|Academia dei Nobili]], mainly diplomacy and law. In 1834, he gave a student presentation, attended by several [[cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinals]], on papal judgments. For his presentation, he received awards for academic excellence and gained the attention of Vatican officials.{{Sfn|Kühne|1880|p=23}} [[Cardinal Secretary of State]] [[Luigi Lambruschini]] introduced him to Vatican congregations. During a cholera epidemic in Rome, he assisted Cardinal [[Giuseppe Antonio Sala]] in his duties as overseer of all the city hospitals.<ref name=Benigni>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09169a.htm|title=Catholic Encyclopedia : Pope Leo XIII|website=www.newadvent.org}}</ref> In 1836, he received his doctorate in theology and doctorates of civil and [[Canon law (Catholic Church)|Canon Law]] in Rome.