Pope Nicholas IV

Reign: 1288 – 1292
Life: 1227–1292

He was a pious, peace-loving man whose goals as a Franciscan friar were to protect the Church, promote the crusades , and root out heresy . The Grove Encyclopedia of Medieval Art and Architecture, Volume 2 . In August 1290 he granted the status of studium generale to the university that King Denis of Portugal has just founded a few months earlier in the city of Lisbon . The loss of Acre in 1291 stirred Nicholas IV to renewed enthusiasm for a crusade .

During Pope Nicholas IV's reign, Edward I of England ruled England, Denis I of Portugal ruled Portugal, and Kublai Khan ruled China.

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 Nicholas IV

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
Eamon Duffy
A respected Yale survey of papal power, reform, and scandal across two millennia.
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