Pope Alexander III

Pope Alexander III
Bishop of Rome
Alexander III bidding farewell to Thomas Becket (13th century miniature attributed to Matthew Paris, British Library)
Church	Catholic Church
Papacy began	7 September 1159
Papacy ended	30 August 1181
Predecessor	Adrian IV
Successor	Lucius III
Orders
Consecration	20 September 1159 by Ubaldo Allucingoli
Created cardinal	October 1150 by Eugene III
Personal details
Born	Rolando c. 1100–05 Siena, March of Tuscany, Holy Roman Empire
Died	(1181-08-30)30 August 1181 Civita Castellana, Papal States
Previous post(s)	Cardinal-Deacon of Santi Cosma e Damiano (1150–51) Cardinal-Priest of San Marco (1151–59)
Other popes named Alexander

Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland (Italian: Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181.

A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a contested election, but had to spend much of his pontificate outside Rome while several rivals, supported by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, claimed the papacy. Alexander rejected Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos' offer to end the East–West Schism, sanctioned the Northern Crusades, and held the Third Council of the Lateran. The city of Alessandria in Piedmont is named after him.