Hildebrand of Lotharingia, also known as Pope Gregory VII, was a significant figure in the 11th century. He was born around 1020 and became a monk at the Cluny Abbey in France. Hildebrand later served as a papal advisor and was instrumental in reforming the Church, advocating for clerical celibacy and the elimination of simony. In 1073, he was elected as pope and took the name Gregory VII. His papacy was marked by the Investiture Controversy, a conflict with secular rulers over the appointment of bishops. Hildebrand's efforts to assert papal authority had a lasting impact on the relationship between the Church and the state.