Urban VII is remembered for instituting the world's first known public smoking ban, threatening excommunication for those using tobacco in or near a church.

[1] He served as a constitutional lawyer and entered the Roman Curia during the pontificate of Pope Julius III as the Referendary of the Apostolic Signatura.

Pope Gregory XIII elevated him to the cardinalate on 12 December 1583 and he was appointed as the Cardinal-Priest of San Marcello al Corso.

Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany had been appointed a cardinal at the age of fourteen but was never ordained to the priesthood.

[3] Castagna, a seasoned diplomat of moderation and proven rectitude, was elected as pope on 15 September 1590 and selected the pontifical name of "Urban VII".

He subsidized Roman bakers so they could sell bread under cost, and restricted the spending on luxury items for members of his court.

[7] He was buried at St. Peter's Basilica, but his remains were transferred to the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva on 21 September 1606.

[9] His estate, valued at 30,000[10] to 32,000 scudi,[9] was bequeathed to the Confraternity of the Annunziata alla Minerva[10][11] for use as dowries for poor young girls.