Sixtus V (1520-1590) was elected pope of the Roman Catholic Church in 1585. Sixtus was responsible for an enduring reorganization of the papacy, creating a more centralized and efficient papal administration. He set the number of cardinals at 70 and organized them into 15 congregations responsible for all the church’s spiritual and temporal (nonreligious) affairs.
Sixtus left a lasting imprint on Rome. He undertook an extensive construction program, including aqueducts, the Lateran Palace, and the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. Sixtus built a network of broad, straight avenues that linked Rome’s major basilicas. Soon after his election, Sixtus ruthlessly regained control of an area in central Italy called the Papal States. The pope accumulated a huge treasury surplus through increased tax revenues combined with his personal thrift and administrative skills.
Sixtus was born on Dec. 13, 1520, in Grottammare, Italy, near San Benedetto del Tronto. His given and family name was Felice Peretti. He joined the Franciscan order at the age of 12 and gained fame as a traveling preacher. In 1566, he became vicar-general of the order. He was named a cardinal in 1570. He died on Aug. 27, 1590.
