Leo VI, a pope under the thumb of a queen

The 10th century was a period of great instability for the papacy, to the point of being described as the “dark century” by Cardinal Cesare Baronio in the 16th century. In 891, Duke Guy of Spoleto, taking advantage of the crumbling of the Carolingian empire, seized control over the papacy and had himself crowned emperor.

Pope Formosus and several of his successors attempted to oppose this illegitimate rule by the Roman aristocracy, but faced fierce resistance. After several assassinations, including that of Pope Leo V, Sergius III was placed on the throne in 904 by Theophylact, Count of Tusculum.

This aristocrat from Latium was an ally of the Spoleti since he had given his daughter Marozia in marriage to Duke Alberic I in 909. This period of domination by the lords of Tusculum is now known as the “papal pornocracy” because of the relationships the popes had with certain women of the Tusculum family. John X, pontiff between 914 and 928, was, according to a Lombard bishop at the end of the century, the lover of Theodora, Marozia's mother.

According to the bishop, Liutprand of Cremona, the latter, “driven by the cruel flames of Venus,” had a child with Pope Sergius III: a certain John — a paternity confirmed in the Liber pontificalis, but disputed by some historians who believe that John was the legitimate son of Alberic I.

Described by Bishop Liutprand of Cremona as a “prostitute,” Marozia was in any case a skilled politician, knowing how to play alliances, particularly through her three marriages, to strengthen her power.

In the 920s, the interests of John X and Marozia seem to have diverged, and the Roman woman managed to depose him in 928. According to some sources, she forced him into exile, while others claim she had him assassinated in prison.

To replace John X, Marozia set her sights on Leo, a member of the Roman clergy belonging to an important family, who was elected under the name Leo VI in June 928. This choice could be explained by the priest's advanced age. Marozia was seeking to pave the way for her own son John, who was still too young at the time (between 16 and 18 years old), to ascend to the throne of St. Peter.

The plan devised by Marozia, who resided in Castel Sant'Angelo, worked too quickly. Leo VI died only seven months later, in January 929. She then had to appoint a second “court pope" – who belonged to her court – Pope Stephen VII. He reigned for two years before finally giving way to Marozia's son, who was elected under the name John XI in 931.

Very little is known about Leo VI's pontificate. The pope probably took part in the defense of the city against an army of Hungarians who had been called to the aid of John X shortly before his deposition. The only document signed with his seal is a letter sent to the bishops of Dalmatia – present-day Croatia – to settle a hierarchical issue.

Uninterested in politics, Leo VI was a transitional pope like his successor Stephen VII. He remained in the shadow of the rising power of the patrician Marozia, who became queen of Italy in 932. “The existence of these two popes was lost in such profound silence that even Liutprand, their contemporary [...], neglected them to such an extent that John X was soon followed by John XI,” marvels 19th-century German historian Ferdinand Gregorovius.

Earlier in the series: 
Leo the Great 
Leo II
Leo III
Leo IV
Leo V