PIUS VIII. (Francesco Xaviero Castiglioni), pope, was born at Cingoli near Ancona on November 20, 1761. After having been appointed bishop of Mon tai to in 1800, cardinal and bishop of Cesena in 1816, and bishop of Frascati in 1821, he was in 1829 declared successor of Leo XII. His unimportant pontificate was of little more than sufficient duration to enable him to give expression to convictions largely characterized by narrowness and intolerance in his choice of Cardinal Albani as head of affairs, and in his encyclical letter against the liberty of the press, civil marriage, and similar impious institutions. His death took place at Rome on the 30th November 1830. He was succeeded by Gregory XVI.