Leo the Great

390–400 to 461 · Doctor 1754

Origin: Tuscany, according to the traditional account
Historical identity: Latin-speaking Roman Italian
Affiliation: Secular clergy / no religious order

Life and work

Pope from 440 to 461, influential in defining Christological language and the role of the Roman see. His pontificate joined theological controversy with urgent diplomacy during the weakening of western imperial rule.

Places and activities

Rome

440-461; with diplomatic travel

Served as pope, preached, and organized pastoral and civic relief.

Benedict XVI: Leo the Great

Catholic Encyclopedia

Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope St. Leo I (the Great)

Primary sources

Further reading

Wikipedia

Leo the Great

Dates and research notes

Years are historical biographical dates; an approximate label on a place record remains approximate.

Selected sourced locations; not a complete itinerary. All geographic coordinates are approximate.

Lifetime associations, not citizenship or a claim that all affiliations were held simultaneously.

Official modern biographical overview; not contemporary evidence for the saint's travels.

The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1910. Biographical article.

Primary text or author archive. Its presence in the bibliography does not by itself support every map claim.

Oxford University Press, 2011. Recommended reference; consult the relevant entry and its bibliography. Not treated as read evidence for individual seed claims.

Updated 2026-11-01