Editing Pope Nicholas II (section)

{{Short description|Head of the Catholic Church from 1059 to 1061}}
{{more citations|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Pope
| honorific-prefix = [[List of popes|Pope]]
| name = Nicholas II
| title = [[Bishop of Rome]]
| church = [[Catholic Church]]
| image =Robert Guiscard claimed as a Duke (Detail of Nicholas II).jpg

| caption = Portrait of Nicholas II in the Nuova Cronica des Giovanni Villani
| birth_name = Gerard
| term_start = 24 January 1059
| term_end = 27 July 1061
| predecessor = [[Pope Stephen IX|Stephen IX]]
| successor = [[Pope Alexander II|Alexander II]]
| birth_date = between 990 and 995
| birth_place = [[Château de Chevron]], [[Mercury, Savoie|Mercury]], [[Kingdom of Burgundy-Arles|Kingdom of Burgundy]], [[Holy Roman Empire]]
| death_date = 27 July 1061
| death_place = [[Florence]], [[March of Tuscany]], [[Holy Roman Empire]]
| other = Nicholas
}}
[[File:B Nikolaus II2.jpg|thumb|right|Nicholas II (right) depicted in a fresco in the [[San Clemente al Laterano|Basilica of San Clemente al Laterano]] in Rome {{Circa|12th century}}]]
'''Pope Nicholas II''' ({{langx|la|Nicolaus II}}; c. 990/995 – 27 July 1061), otherwise known as '''Gerard of Burgundy''', was head of the [[Catholic Church]] and ruler of the [[Papal States]] from 24 January 1059 until his death in 27 July 1061. At the time of his election, he was [[bishop of Florence]].<ref>Coulombe, Charles A. ''Vicars of Christ: A History of the Popes'', Citadel Press, 2003, p. 210.</ref> During his Papacy, Nicholas II successfully expanded the influence of the papacy in [[Milan]] and [[southern Italy]]. He was also responsible for passing papal election reforms, the most significant of which led to the creation of the [[papal conclave]], which remains in use to this day.