Britannica Sources used in this answer

When did the Council of Trent meet?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Painting by Nicolo Dorigati showing the opening session of the Council of Trent, with clergy in white robes seated in a grand cathedral and an altar at the center. — Council of Trent Opening session of the Council of Trent in 1545, depicted by Nicolò Dorigati, 1711; in the Museo Diocesano Tridentino, Trento, Italy.

The Council of Trent, the 19th ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, was held in three distinct periods between 1545 and 1563.1

The council met during the following intervals:

First Period: 1545–1547 (inaugurated on December 13, 1545)1
Second Period: 1551–1552 (reopened on May 1, 1551)1
Third Period: 1562–15631

Convened as the formal Roman Catholic response to the Protestant Reformation, the council played a vital role in the Counter-Reformation by defining church doctrine and enacting sweeping reforms to address internal abuses.21