Who he was
Leo was a Roman, the son of Radoald, educated in the monastery of St Martin near St Peter's. Gregory IV made him a subdeacon and Sergius II made him Cardinal-Priest of the Santi Quattro Coronati. He was elected unanimously and, with Rome fearing another Saracen attack, consecrated on 10 April 847 without waiting for the emperor's consent.
What he is remembered for
He rebuilt the walls of Rome and, for the first time, walled in the Vatican hill; the new quarter, finished in 852, is still called the Leonine City after him. A Saracen fleet was destroyed off Ostia in 849 by the allied ships of Rome and the southern cities and by a storm. He restored St Peter's and many other churches, built Santa Maria Nova, and in 853 anointed the young English prince Alfred. His name is in the Roman Martyrology.
He is honoured by the Church as Saint. Read his page in the dictionary of saints.
Sources
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