Pope Callixtus III

Pope Callixtus III
Bishop of Rome
Portrait by Sano di Pietro, 1455
Church	Catholic Church
Papacy began	8 April 1455
Papacy ended	6 August 1458
Predecessor	Nicholas V
Successor	Pius II
Orders
Consecration	31 August 1429 by Pierre de Foix
Created cardinal	2 May 1444 by Eugene IV
Personal details
Born	Alfons de Borja (1378-12-31)31 December 1378 Canals, Valencia, Crown of Aragon
Died	6 August 1458(1458-08-06) (aged 79) Rome, Papal States
Previous post(s)	Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lerida (1420–1423) Apostolic Administrator of Mallorca (1424–1429) Bishop of Valencia (1429–1455) Cardinal-Priest of Santi Quattro Coronati (1444–1455)
Education	University of Lleida
Coat of arms
Other popes named Callixtus

Papal styles of Pope Callixtus III
Reference style	His Holiness
Spoken style	Your Holiness
Religious style	Holy Father
Posthumous style	None

Pope Callixtus III (Italian: Callisto III, Valencian: Calixt III, Spanish: Calixto III; 31 December 1378 – 6 August 1458), born Alfonso de Borgia (Valencian: Alfons de Borja), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 April 1455 to his death, in August 1458.

Borgia spent his early career as a professor of law at the University of Lleida; he later served as a diplomat for the kings of Aragon. He became a tutor for King Alfonso V's illegitimate son Ferdinand. After arranging a reconciliation between Alfonso and Pope Martin V, Borgia was made Bishop of Valencia.

In 1444, Pope Eugene IV named him a cardinal, and Borgia became a member of the Roman Curia. During the siege of Belgrade (1456), Callixtus initiated the custom that bells be rung at midday to remind the faithful to pray for the crusaders. The tradition of the Angelus noon bell still exists in most Catholic churches to this day. He was also responsible for the retrial of Joan of Arc that saw her vindicated. He appointed two nephews as cardinals, one of whom became Pope Alexander VI. He is the last pope to date to take on the pontifical name "Callixtus".