Quick Facts- Born to impoverished Italian nobility, the son of Paolo Ghislieri and Domenica Augeria.
- Worked as a shepherd as a boy.
- Received an excellent education in piety and holiness, including a scholastic education from a Dominican friar; he joined the Order in 1518, taking the name Michele.
- Studied in Bologna, Italy.
- Ordained in 1528 in Genoa.
- Appointed teacher of philosophy and divinity in Genoa.
- Professor of theology in Pavia for sixteen years.
- Master of novices and prior of several Dominican houses, worked for stricter adherence to the Order's Rule.
- Inquisitor in Como and Bergamo.
- Commissary general of the Roman Inquisition in 1551.
- On 4 September 1556 Michael was ordained Bishop of Nepi and Sutri against his will.
- Inquisitor in Milan and Lombardy in 1556.
- Created cardinal on 15 March 1557.
- Grand inquisitor on 14 December 1558.Part of the conclave of 1559.
- Bishop of Mondovi, Italy on 17 March 1560.
- As bishop, Michael worked to lead his flock with words and examples, and served as a continual messenger encouraging personal piety and devotion to God.
- 225th pope.
- Upon his ascension to the papacy, Pius V immediately faced the task of enacting the reforms of the Council of Trent.
- New seminaries were opened, a new breviary, new missal, and new catechism were published; foundations were established to spread the Faith and preserve the doctrine of the Church.
- Pius spent much time personally working with the needy.
- Built hospitals and used the papal treasury to care for the poor.
- Pius faced many difficulties in the public forum, both in the implementation of the Tridentine reforms and interaction with other heads of state.
- Created 21 cardinals.
- At the time of his death he was working on a Christian European alliance to break the power of the Islamic states.
