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Formosus

File:Formoso.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Formosus

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Also known as Pope Formosus

pope

OverviewAI-generated

Formosus was a male Catholic priest, diplomat, writer, and Pope who served from 891 to 896. Born in Rome in 816, he worked in Rome and the Papal States, where he held citizenship. He spoke and wrote Latin, and his name in his native language is recorded as Formosus PP.

His notable work includes *Formosi papae Epistolae*. He is described by sources such as the *Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary*, the *Encyclopædia Britannica* 11th edition, and the *New International Encyclopedia*. He is also recognized in the Popes collection.

Formosus died in Rome on April 4, 896. He was buried in St. Peter's Basilica. A significant event associated with him is the Cadaver Synod.

Synthesized by Vinony from 20 facts across 3 sources: Wikidata, Open Library, Vinony collections. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Person · Open Library

Works
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  • Formosi papae Epistolae

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Wikidata facts

Instance of
human
Gender
male
Citizenship
Papal States
Place of birth
Rome
Place of death
Rome
Occupation
writer
Languages spoken
Latin
Religion
Catholic Church
Image
Pope Formosus.jpg
Work location
Papal States
Significant event
Cadaver Synod
Show 6 more facts
Commons category
Formosus
date of death
0896-04-04
date of birth
0816-00-00
place of burial
St. Peter's Basilica
described by source
Wikitólica
name in native language
Formosus PP.
Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

~11 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Pope Formosus (c. 816 – 4 April 896) was the pope and ruler of the Papal States from 6 October 891 until his death on 4 April 896. His reign as Pope was troubled, marked by interventions in power struggles over the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Kingdom of West Francia, and the Holy Roman Empire. Because he sided with Arnulf of Carinthia against Lambert of Spoleto, Formosus's remains were exhumed and put on trial in the Cadaver Synod. Several of his immediate successors were primarily preoccupied by the controversial legacy of his pontificate, noting his desertion from the diocese in Portus to pursue personal ambition in Rome. Formosus was seen as failing to uphold the ideals of the Church, which is why Stephen VI judged him for moving into an elevated role while holding another. Due to these controversies, no other pope has ever taken on the papal name Formosus.

Early career

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Formosus” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (3)

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