Person

Pope Urban VIII

1568–1644 · 17th century · Also known as Maffeo Barberini

Urban VIII, born Maffeo Barberini, was pope from 1623 to 1644. A patron of Bernini and of Baroque art, he enriched his nephews on a large scale and presided over the trial of Galileo in 1633. His war against the Farnese over Castro, begun in 1641, drained papal finances and ended in failure shortly before his death.

Pope Urban VIII
Image: Pietro da Cortona · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Duchy of Parma and PiacenzaMilitary

Mentioned in 1 state history

Duchy of Castro

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Pope Urban VIII. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-urban-viii
MLA
“Pope Urban VIII.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-urban-viii. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Pope Urban VIII.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-urban-viii.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Pope Urban VIII’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/pope-urban-viii (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻