Pope Nicholas II (995-27 July 1061), born Gerard de Bourgogne, was Pope from 1059 to 1061, succeeding Pope Stephen IX and preceding Pope Alexander II.
Biography[]
Gerard de Bourgogne was born in Chateau de Chevron in the Kingdom of Arles, and in 1059 he was elected as pope at Siena by cardinals that opposed Antipope Benedict X becoming pontiff. He entered Rome and forced Benedict X to flee, and one of his first decisions was to make an alliance with the Normans of southern Italy. He died in 1061.