Victor III was a Benedictine abbot and pope who led the Catholic Church from 1086 to 1087. Born Dauferio Epifani Del Zotto around 1027 in Benevento, he originally served as the abbot of Monte Cassino under the name Desiderius. During his leadership at the abbey, he oversaw the reconstruction of its church and convent. His ecclesiastical career progressed through various roles, including cardinal-deacon and cardinal-priest, before he succeeded Gregory VII as the head of the Papal States.