Pope Pius II
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Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August 1458 to his death in 1464.
Fresco portrait by Pinturicchio in the Piccolomini library of Siena Cathedral, made c. 1500
Enea Silvio Piccolomini presents Emperor Frederick III with his bride-to-be Eleanore of Portugal; fresco by Pinturicchio in the Piccolomini library in Siena Cathedral
Portrait by van Gent and Berruguete c. 1470
Pius II by Cristofano dell'Altissimo
Vlad the Impaler
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Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula, was Voivode of Wallachia during three separate reigns. He was born in the House of Drăculești, as the son of Vlad II Dracul. Vlad is chief
Pope Pius II
…a new crusade against the Ottomans, and on 14 January 1460, he proclaimed the official crusade that was to last for three years. The pope influenced Vlad III Dracula, whom he held in high regard, to start a war against Sultan Mehmed II of Turkey. This conflict at its peak involved the Wallachians trying to assassinate…
Ambras Castle portrait of Vlad III (c. 1560), reputedly a copy of an original made during his lifetime
The house in the main square of Sighișoara where Vlad's father lived from 1431 to 1435
Ruins of the Târgoviște Princely Court in Târgoviște
The Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed II, who invaded Wallachia during Vlad's reign