Pope Innocent VIII

Pope Innocent VIII, born Giovanni Battista Cybo on November 30, 1432, rose to prominence as the head of the Catholic Church and the leader of the Papal States from August 29, 1484, until his death in July 1492. His early life was spent at the Neapolitan court, being the son of the viceroy of Naples. Cybo's ecclesiastical career began in the retinue of Cardinal Calandrini, the half-brother of Pope Nicholas V, and he later served as the Bishop of Savona under Pope Paul II.

With the backing of Cardinal Giuliano Della Rovere, Cybo was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Sixtus IV. His election as pope in 1484 followed intense political maneuvering, particularly against the backdrop of King Ferdinand I of Naples, who had supported Cybo's rival, Rodrigo Borgia. During his papacy, Innocent VIII faced challenges, including a failed revolt by the barons, whom he had supported.

One of Innocent's notable actions was the issuance of a papal bull on witchcraft, titled Summis desiderantes affectibus. In March 1489, he became the custodian of Cem, the brother of Bayezid II, the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The sultan, viewing his brother as a rival, paid Pope Innocent a substantial sum of one hundred twenty thousand crowns, equivalent to the Vatican's annual revenue, along with holy relics and additional annual payments. This arrangement allowed Innocent to leverage Cem's captivity as a political tool against the sultan's threats to the Christian Balkans.

Innocent VIII's papacy was marked by these intricate political dynamics and financial dealings, culminating in the eventual release of Cem by his successor, Pope Alexander VI, into the custody of King Charles VIII of France's army on January 28, 1495.