Pope Eugene III
Pope Eugene III (Latin: Eugenius III; c. 1080 – 8 July 1153), born Bernardo Pignatelli,[2] or possibly Paganelli, called Bernardo da Pisa, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1145 to his death in 1153. He was the first Cistercian to become pope. In response to the fall of Edessa to the Muslims in 1144, Eugene proclaimed the Second Crusade. The crusade failed to recapture Edessa, which was the first of many failures by the Christians in the crusades to recapture lands won in the First Crusade. He was beatified in 1872 by Pope Pius IX.
Eugene III
15 February 1145
8 July 1153
1135
by Innocent II
18 December 1145
8 July 1153 (aged 72–73)
Tivoli, Papal States, Holy Roman Empire
Abbot of San Anastasio alle Tre Fontane (1140–45)
8 July
28 December 1872
Rome, Papal States
by Pius IX
- Papal vestments
- Papal tiara
- Tre Fontane Abbey
- Cistercians
Early life[edit]
Bernardo was born in the vicinity of Pisa. Little is known about his origins and family except that he was son of a certain Godius.[3] From the 16th century he is commonly identified as member of the family of Paganelli di Montemagno, which belonged to the Pisan aristocracy, but this has not been proven and contradicts earlier testimonies that suggest he was a man of rather humble origins.[4] In 1106 he was a canon of the cathedral chapter in Pisa and from 1115 is attested as subdeacon.[5] 1133–1138 he acted as vicedominus of the archdiocese of Pisa.[6]
Between May 1134 and February 1137 he was ordained to the priesthood by Pope Innocent II, who resided at that time in Pisa.[7] Under the influence of Bernard of Clairvaux he entered the Cistercian Order in the monastery of Clairvaux in 1138. A year later he returned to Italy as leader of the Cistercian community in Scandriglia. In Autumn 1140, Innocent II named him abbot of the monastery of S. Anastasio alle Tre Fontane outside Rome.[8] Some chronicles indicate that he was also elevated to the College of Cardinals,[9] but these testimonies probably resulted from a confusion because Bernardo is not attested as cardinal in any document and from the letter of Bernard of Clairvaux addressed to the cardinals shortly after his election it clearly appears that he was not a cardinal.[10]
