Pope Lucius III


Lucius III
Bishop of Rome
Depiction of Lucius III from the Liber ad honorem Augusti by Peter of Eboli (1196)
ChurchCatholic Church
Papacy began1 September 1181
Papacy ended25 November 1185
PredecessorAlexander III
SuccessorUrban III
Previous post(s)
Orders
Consecration1159
Created cardinalDecember 1138
by Innocent II
Personal details
Born
Ubaldo Allucingoli

c. 1100
Died25 November 1185(1185-11-25) (aged 84–85)
Verona, Holy Roman Empire
Other popes named Lucius

Pope Lucius III (c. 1100 – 25 November 1185), born Ubaldo Allucingoli, reigned from 1 September 1181 to his death in 1185. Born of an aristocratic family of Lucca, prior to being elected pope, he had a long career as a papal diplomat. His papacy was marked by conflicts with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, his exile from Rome and the initial preparations for the Third Crusade.

Born in Lucca, Ubaldo Allucingoli rose to prominence within the Catholic Church, eventually becoming Pope Lucius III. He was appointed cardinal by Pope Innocent II and served as legate in France, Sicily, and other regions. He was involved in negotiating the Treaty of Venice in 1177 and was elected pope in 1181.

During his papacy, Lucius III faced disputes with the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I over the territories of the late Countess Matilda of Tuscany. He also held a synod in 1184 that condemned various heretical groups, though he did not establish the Inquisition. In 1185, preparations began for the Third Crusade, but Lucius III died in Verona before they were completed.