Pope Urban VIII, born Maffeo Barberini in 1568, served as the head of the Roman Catholic Church from 1623 until his death in 1644. He is known for his patronage of the arts and his efforts to promote the Baroque style in architecture and painting, commissioning works from artists like Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Urban VIII's papacy was marked by political challenges, including the Thirty Years' War, which affected Europe significantly. He also faced criticism for his financial policies and the controversial trial of Galileo Galilei, who was accused of heresy for supporting the heliocentric model of the solar system.