Who he was
Francesco Todeschini was a nephew of Pius II, who took him in as a poor boy, gave him the Piccolomini name, and after his law doctorate at Perugia made him Archbishop of Siena and, in 1460, a cardinal. He served with distinction as legate in the March of Ancona and in Germany, and was known for his blameless life, his prayer and his austere habits, keeping away from Rome as much as he could under Sixtus IV and Alexander VI. When the conclave of 1503 could not agree on the leading candidates, the cardinals turned to him, though he was already old before his time and suffering from gout.
What he is remembered for
He was ordained priest and bishop and crowned on 8 October 1503, but the strain of the ceremonies was too much for him and he died ten days later, after a reign of under four weeks. He lies beside his uncle Pius II in Sant'Andrea della Valle in Rome.
Sources
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