Born: 25 December 1717 · Died: 29 August 1799 · Age at death: 81
How old was Pius VI when he died?
Pius VI died aged 81. He was born on 25 December 1717 and died on 29 August 1799.
Pope who reigned during the French Revolution and died in captivity
Did you know?He was the longest-serving pope of the eighteenth century and oversaw the drainage of the Pontine Marshes.
Quick facts
Date of birth25 December 1717
Date of death29 August 1799
Age at death81
NationalityItalian
BirthplaceCesena, Italy
OccupationCatholic priest, Catholic bishop
Editor's Take:
Pius VI began his reign as a cultured Roman aristocrat and ended it as a captive of revolutionary France. In his early years he spent lavishly on the Vatican museums and on public works. His journey to Vienna to plead with Joseph II over church reform was a striking gesture, though it achieved little. The French Revolution posed a far greater threat. When he rejected its church laws, France turned against him. In 1798 French troops took Rome, and the frail pope was carried across the Alps to die in exile.
Key Milestones
1775: Elected pope
1782: Travels to Vienna to meet Emperor Joseph II
1791: Condemns the Civil Constitution of the Clergy
1798: Taken prisoner after French troops occupy Rome
Pope Pius VI (Italian: Pio VI; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 1717 – 29 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and leader of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to his death in August 1799.
