orig. Enea Silvio Piccolomini
born Oct. 18, 1405, Corsignano, Republic of Siena
died Aug. 14/15. 1464, Ancona, Papal States
Pope (1458–64).
An Italian diplomat who became bishop of Trieste (1447) and Siena (1449), he mediated between the German princes and the papacy, arranged the coronation of Frederick III as Holy Roman emperor (1452), and made peace with Aragon and Naples. As pope he tried to unite Europe in a Crusade against the Turks, but he was unable to win the support of the Christian princes. Pius was also a noted humanist and a prolific writer on the events of his day.