Pope Gregory VII

Reign: 1073 – 1085
Life: 1020–1085

He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. During the power struggles between the papacy and the Empire, Gregory excommunicated Henry IV three times, and Henry appointed Antipope Clement III to oppose him. Although Gregory was hailed as one of the greatest of the Roman pontiffs after his reforms proved successful, during his own reign, he was denounced by some for his autocratic exercise of papal power. In later times, Gregory VII became an exemplar of papal supremacy to both supporters and opponents of the papacy.

During Pope Gregory VII's reign, William the Conqueror ruled England, Alfonso VI of León and Castile ruled Spain, and Malcolm III of Scotland ruled Scotland.

Want to learn more? Further reading

Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy by John Julius Norwich

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The World During Their Reign

The most notable rulers who held power elsewhere at the same time, from European courts to Ottoman, Mughal, and Chinese thrones.

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From the library

Go deeper on Pope Gregory VII

Hand-picked histories and biographies for readers who want more than the timeline: the same era, told in full.

Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy

John Julius Norwich

Norwich's narrative history of the popes, from Saint Peter's successors to the modern Vatican.

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Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes
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A respected Yale survey of papal power, reform, and scandal across two millennia.
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