Benedict XI, born Nicola Boccasini, was a Dominican friar who served as pope from 1303 to 1304. Originally from Treviso, he joined the Order of Preachers in 1254 and rose through the ranks, serving as the Provincial Prior of Lombardy and later as the Master General of the order in 1296. Before his election to the papacy, he held several high-ranking positions, including cardinal-priest of Santa Sabina and bishop of Ostia, and acted as a legate to both France and Hungary.