93rd
Pope, first
Pope-King of
Rome. Stephen's reign was troubled by the designs of the king of the
Lombards,
Aistulf, to unite
Italy under his
banner.
Allied with the
Frankish king
Pepin to repel the repeated
Lombard invasions.
On the death of Aistulf, there was nearly a
succession war, but Stephen mediated to prevent
civil war - and added a few cities to his rule. Almost immediately, he was faced with rebellion from
Archbishop Sergius,
governor of Ravenna. Sergius was
captured and
imprisoned in Rome.
Stephen III had several
hospitals built for
the poor around
St. Peter's, where his
remains were
interred.
The Popes enumerated