Pius IV (1499-1565) was elected pope in 1559. He successfully put into effect many key reform measures of the church renewal movement called the Counter Reformation. His major achievement was reconvening the Council of Trent. The council had been suspended in 1552, and Pius reopened it in 1562. Pius was a shrewd and diplomatic man, and he used these qualities to help the council complete its business in 1563. The council established the basic framework of Roman Catholic reform (see Trent, Council of ). Pius also reformed the Roman Curia, the pope’s administrative arm.
Pius helped revive the cultural and intellectual life of Rome and had several notable structures built, including the Porta Pia arch and the Villa Pia in the Vatican gardens. In his endeavors, Pius relied on the aid of his nephew Saint Charles Borromeo. Pius was born on March 31, 1499, in Milan, Italy. His given and family name was Giovanni Angelo de’ Medici. He died on Dec. 9, 1565.
