Person

Pope Adrian IV

c. 1100–1159 · 12th century · Also known as Nicholas Breakspear

Pope Adrian IV (c. 1100–1159), born Nicholas Breakspear, was the only English pope, reigning from 1154 to 1159. As papal legate to Scandinavia in 1152–1154 he founded the archbishopric of Nidaros (Trondheim), giving Norway its own church province, and reorganised the Swedish church. As pope he crowned Frederick Barbarossa emperor in 1155, but relations between them soon broke down.

Pope Adrian IV
Image: Unknown medieval illustrator · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Pope Adrian IV. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-adrian-iv
MLA
“Pope Adrian IV.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-adrian-iv. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Pope Adrian IV.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-adrian-iv.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Pope Adrian IV’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-adrian-iv (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻