Julius, who held the chair from 1503 to 1513, ruled like a King. He's called The Warrior Pope, and spent all his energy in establishing and expanding temporal power for the papacy. He crushed the local Borgia family, made peace with other important Roman clans, and then started pushing outward. He made strategic alliances with other European monarchs (which he called Holy Leagues), and drove the French out of Italy.

He funded and planned the new St. Peter's Basilica (laying the foundationstone himself), and commissioned artwork from Michaelangelo and Raphael.