The 1447 papal conclave (March 4–6), meeting in the Roman basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, elected

Pope Nicholas V Pope Nicholas V ( la, Nicholaus V; it, Niccolò V; 13 November 1397 – 24 March 1455), born Tommaso Parentucelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 March 1447 until his death in March 1455. Pope Eugene IV, Po ...

(Parentucelli) to succeed

Pope Eugene IV Pope Eugene IV ( la, Eugenius IV; it, Eugenio IV; 1383 – 23 February 1447), born Gabriele Condulmer, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 3 March 1431 to his death in February 1447. Condulmer was a Venetian, and ...

(Condulmer).

Balloting

Eugene IV had died on February 23, 1447. The cardinals entered conclave at the time of Vespers (sunset) on March 4, after waiting the full nine days proscribed by '' Ubi periculum''.So the Diarium camerale: ''Exequis fe(licis) re(cordationis) Domini Eugenii pap(a)e .iiij. complectis die sabbati quarta mensis marcii anni predicti, quae fuit decima ab obitu dicti domini Eugenii, hora vesperorum, R(everendissi)mi in Christo patres et domini Domini cardinales infrascripti intraverunt conclave in ecclesia S(ancta)e Mari(a)e de Mirenda icde Urbe pro futuro pontifice eligendo, videlicet: Venetiarum, Tarentinus, Capuanus, Flisco, Nicenus, Portugalensis, Morinensis, Estoutevilla, S(anc)ti Sixti, Aquilegensis, Firmanus Valentinensis, Mediolanensis, S(anc)t(a)e Sabin(a)e, Boneniensis novi pape electus, Columpa, S(anc)t(a)e Mari(a)e nov(a)e, S(anc)ti Angeli.'' See G. Bourgin, "Les cardinaux français et le diaire caméral de 1439-1486," ''Mélanges d' archeologie et d' histoire'' 24 (1904), 286. cf. Trollope, 1876, p. 134, who is incorrect. . Of the twenty-four cardinals living, only eighteen were present in Rome for the conclave. The conclave, like its predecessor which had elected Eugene IV, was held in the Sacristy of the Dominican friars of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, even though many members of the

College of Cardinals The College of Cardinals, or more formally the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. its current membership is , of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinals are appoi ...

would have preferred to relocate to the Vatican.Trollope, 1876, p. 135. Several Roman barons, most prominent among them Gio Baptista Savelli, insisted for a time on being able to vote in the conclave (although perhaps they only wished to remain present); the

Savelli family The House of Savelli (de Sabellis in documents) were a rich and influential Roman aristocratic family who rose to prominence in the 13th century, the youngest is still alive today (1626–2022). History The family, who held the lordship of Palo ...

had been granted the right to guard the conclave by

Pope Gregory X Pope Gregory X ( la, Gregorius X; – 10 January 1276), born Teobaldo Visconti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 September 1271 to his death and was a member of the Secular Franciscan Order. He was ...

, but Gio Baptista wished for the first time to carry out this duty from inside the conclave; the barons were eventually expelled.

Prospero Colonna Prospero Colonna (1452–1523), sometimes referred to as Prosper Colonna, was an Italian condottiero in the service of the Papal States, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Kingdom of Spain during the Italian Wars. Biography A member of the ancient ...

, the nephew of Pope Martin V and

Protodeacon Protodeacon derives from the Greek ''proto-'' meaning 'first' and ''diakonos'', which is a standard ancient Greek word meaning "assistant", "servant", or "waiting-man". The word in English may refer to any of various clergy, depending upon the usag ...

of the Sacred College, was regarded as the leading ''

papabile ''Papabile'' (, also , ; ; or "able to be pope") is an unofficial Italian term first coined by Vaticanologists and now used internationally in many languages to describe a Catholic man, in practice always a cardinal, who is thought a likely ...

'' at the start of the conclave. Colonna received 10 votes (two short of the requisite two-thirds majority) in the first scrutiny, on Sunday, March 5; 8 votes went to

Domenico Capranica Domenico Capranica (1400 – 14 July 1458) was an Italian theologian, canonist, statesman, and Cardinal. Life Cardinal Capranica was born in Capranica Prenestina. His younger brother, Angelo, also became a cardinal. After studies in canon an ...

, and there were five for Parentucelli (Bononiensis).According to Trollope, 1876, p. 136. He also says that Colonna was the final living Cardinal of

Pope Martin V Pope Martin V ( la, Martinus V; it, Martino V; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Otto (or Oddone) Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. Hi ...

, but this is another gross error. Cardinal Domenico Capranica, the former secretary of Martin V, who had been named cardinal in 1423, but who had been denied participation in the Conclave of 1431 on the grounds that his installation was not completed, was in attendance. On Cardinal Domenico Capranica, see J.-B. Christophe, ''Histoire de la papauté pendant le XVe siècle'' Tome premier (Paris 1863) 93-96; 116-119. William Cornwallis Cartwright, ''On the Constitution of Papal Conclaves'' (Edinburgh 1878) 125-129. Still quite alive, but not in attendance, were Cardinals Pierre de Foix and Juan Cervantes. The next day the adherents of Colonna continued to vote for him, while the other eight attempted to peel away votes (unsuccessfully) by switching their choice to others, including the non-cardinal archbishops of

Benevento Benevento (, , ; la, Beneventum) is a city and ''comune'' of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and the ...

and

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

. Colonna had the support of the French cardinals and those who were impressed with the influence he enjoyed in various Italian city-states, but he did not have the support of the Roman public due to Colonna's use of extrajudicial violence during his uncle's papacy. The people (that is to say, the leaders in Roman politics) preferred Niccolo d'Acciapaccio. Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini, who was one of the Custodians of the Conclave and is a principal source for the event, says merely that on Monday morning, September 6, there was some talk about the Archbishops, and then the scrutiny took place. There seems to be no evidence that they actually received votes. On March 6, after the first of the two daily scrutinies, during which Colonna again received 10 votes, Cardinal Capranica addressed the conclave, reminding them of the various dangers facing the church, including the armies of the Alfonso, King of Aragon, which were sailing towards Italy, the (now unopposed) reign of

Antipope Felix V Amadeus VIII (4 September 1383 – 7 January 1451), nicknamed the Peaceful, was Count of Savoy from 1391 to 1416 and Duke of Savoy from 1416 to 1440. He was the son of Amadeus VII, Count of Savoy and Bonne of Berry. He was a claimant to the papac ...

, Duke of Savoy, as well as a certain "

Count Francis Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

"—imploring two more cardinals to throw their support to Colonna.Trollope, 1876, p. 137. According to Trollope, the cardinals' term for Colonna as "''mansuetto agnello''" (mild as a lamb) would have been viewed as ironic, given that Colonna had carried off much of the papal treasure on the death of Martin V with the help of his noble relatives, and had for a time been excommunicated by Eugene IV prior to his

disgorgement Disgorgement is defined by ''Black's Law Dictionary'' as "the act of giving up something (such as profits illegally obtained) on demand or by legal compulsion." Overview Disgorgement is a remedy or penalty used in US securities law. For exampl ...

.Trollope, 1876, p. 138. Tommaso Parentucelli rose following this speech, and

Giovanni Berardi Giovanni Berardi (1380 in Italy, 1380 – 21 January 1449), Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal, of the counts of Tagliacozzo, was elected Archbishop of Taranto in 1421, and occupied the see until December 1439, when Pope Eugenius IV raised hi ...

(thinking that his colleague was about to give the election to Colonna) interrupted him and asked for a delay.Trollope, 1876, p. 139. Piccolomini says that Berardi asked Parentucelli to stop for a moment before he acceded to Colonna. "Nihil tarde fit quod bene fit." At this point

Ludovico Trevisan Ludovico Trevisan (November 1401 – March 22, 1465) was an Italian catholic prelate, who was the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, Patriarch of Aquileia and Captain General of the Church. He succeeded his rival Giovanni Vitelleschi, a fellow ...

, angered at Berardi's blocking of Colonna asked whom Berardi wished to see elected instead. Berardi replied "Bononiensis" (Parentucelli). Parentucelli (misinterpreting, perhaps purposefully, his words) declared that he "too" was willing to give his vote to whoever the choice of Berardi was.Trollope, 1876, p. 140. "Then, I give my vote for you!" Berardi exclaimed, a move which Trevisan felt obliged to follow. One after another the cardinals threw their support to Parentucelli, with the eleventh vote coming from "Cardinal Marino", and the decisive twelfth vote coming from the "Cardinal of San Sisto".Trollope, 1876, p. 141, not naming the cardinal. Cardinal Juan de Torquemada (Sancti Sixti) joined in, saying, "Et ego te, Thoma, Pontificem facio. Nam et vigiliam hodie Beati Thomae facimus."

Electors

The eighteen electors were: *

(created on 18 December 1439) — Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina; ''commendatario'' of SS. Nereo ed Achilleo;

Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals The dean of the College of Cardinals ( la, Decanus Collegii Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalium) presides over the College of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church, serving as ''primus inter pares'' (first among equals). The position was establi ...

;

grand penitentiary The Apostolic Penitentiary (), formerly called the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary, is a dicastery of the Roman Curia and is one of the three ordinary tribunals of the Apostolic See. The Apostolic Penitentiary is chiefly a tribu ...

Francesco Condulmer Francesco Condulmer (1390 – 30 October 1453) was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was made cardinal on 19 September 1431 by his uncle, Pope Eugenius IV, and accumulated many offices and dignities. He was Camerlengo of the Holy Roman ...

(19 September 1431) - Cardinal-Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina; Subdean of the Sacred College of Cardinals;

Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church The Apostolic ChanceryCanon 260, ''Code of Canon Law'' of 1917, translated by Edward N. Peters, Ignatius Press, 2001. ( la, Cancellaria Apostolica; also known as the "Papal" or "Roman Chanc(ell)ery") was a dicastery of the Roman Curia at the serv ...

;

bishop of Verona 235px, The facade of ''Palazzo del Vescovado'' The Diocese of Verona ( la, Dioecesis Veronensis) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in northern Italy. The diocese belongs to the Ecclesiastical Province of Venice. The bishop of Verona ...

;

Latin Patriarch of Constantinople The Latin Patriarchate of Constantinople was an office established as a result of the Fourth Crusade and its conquest of Constantinople in 1204. It was a Roman Catholic replacement for the Eastern Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ...

(23 July 1423) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Croce in Gerusalemme; ''commendatario'' of S. Maria in Via Lata; administrator of the see of Fermo; Cardinal-protector of the Teutonic Order * Niccolo d'Acciapaccio (18 December 1439) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Marcello;

archbishop of Capua The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Capua ( la, Archidioecesis Capuana) is an archdiocese (originally a suffragan bishopric) of the Roman Catholic Church in Capua, in Campania, Italy, but its archbishop no longer holds metropolitan rank and has no ...

Giorgio Fieschi Giorgio Fieschi (ca. 1395 – October 1461) was an Italian cardinal, of the counts of Lavagna. He was elected Bishop of Mariana, in Corsica, on 27 May 1433. On 3 October 1436 he was transferred to the metropolitan see of Genoa, which he occupi ...

(18 December 1439) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Anastasia; ''commendatario'' of the see of Noli;

Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals The Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals was the treasurer of the College of Cardinals in the Catholic Church. The title is based on an Italian word for chamberlain, a word no longer used in secular contexts. The position existed from at ...

Basilios Bessarion Bessarion ( el, Βησσαρίων; 2 January 1403 – 18 November 1472) was a Byzantine Greek Renaissance humanist, theologian, Catholic cardinal and one of the famed Greek scholars who contributed to the so-called great revival of letter ...

(18 December 1439) — Cardinal-Priest of SS. XII Apostoli; titular archbishop of Nicea and Tebe * António Martinez de Chaves (18 December 1439) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Crisogono;

bishop of Porto The Portuguese Roman Catholic Diocese of Porto ( la, Dioecesis Portugallensis) (Oporto) is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Braga. Its see at Porto is in the Norte region, and the second largest city in Portugal. History The diocese was pro ...

; ''commendatario'' of the see of Giovinazzo; archpriest of the

Lateran Basilica The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran ( it, Arcibasilica del Santissimo Salvatore e dei Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano), also known as the Papa ...

* Jean Le Jeune (18 December 1439) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Prassede;

bishop of Thérouanne A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Guillaume d'Estouteville Guillaume d'Estouteville, OSB (c. 1412–1483) was a French aristocrat of royal blood who became a leading bishop and cardinal. He held a number of Church offices simultaneously. He conducted the reexamination of the case of Jeanne d'Arc and ...

, O.S.B.Cluny (18 December 1439) — Cardinal-Priest of SS. Silvestro e Martino ai Monti;

bishop of Angers The Roman Catholic Diocese of Angers (Latin: ''Dioecesis Andegavensis''; French: ''Diocèse d'Angers'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The episcopal see is located in Angers Cathedral in the city of Anger ...

; administrator of the sees of

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; oc, Nimes ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, the commune of Nîmes has an estimated population of 148,5 ...

and

Béziers Béziers (; oc, Besièrs) is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Hérault Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Every August Béziers hos ...

; archpriest of the

Liberian Basilica The Basilica of Saint Mary Major ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, ; la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Basilicas in the Catholic Church#Major and papal basilicas, Major papal basilica as well ...

* Juan de Torquemada, O.P. (18 December 1439) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria in Trastevere *

(1 July 1440) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Lorenzo in Damaso;

Patriarch of Aquileia The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate (bishop), primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholicism, Independent Catholic Chur ...

;

Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church The Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church is an office of the papal household that administers the property and revenues of the Holy See. Formerly, his responsibilities included the fiscal administration of the Patrimony of Saint Peter. As regul ...

; bishop of Cava * Alonso de Borja (2 May 1444) — Cardinal-Priest of SS. IV Coronati; bishop of Valencia *

Enrico Rampini Enrico is both an Italian masculine given name and a surname, Enrico means homeowner, or king, derived from ''Heinrich'' of Germanic origin. It is also a given name in Ladino. Equivalents in other languages are Henry (English), Henri ( French), Enr ...

(16 December 1446) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Clemente;

archbishop of Milan The Archdiocese of Milan ( it, Arcidiocesi di Milano; la, Archidioecesis Mediolanensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy which covers the areas of Milan, Monza, Lecco and Varese. It has l ...

* Tommaso Parentucelli (16 December 1446) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Susanna;

bishop of Bologna The Archdiocese of Bologna is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Northern Italy. The cathedra is in the cathedral church of San Pietro, Bologna. The current archbishop is Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, ...

* Juan Carvajal (16 December 1446) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Angelo in Pescheria;

bishop of Plasencia The Roman Catholic Diocese of Plasencia ( la, Placentina in Hispania) is a suffragan Latin diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Mérida-Badajoz, in Extremadura, western Spain.

* Giovanni de Primis, O.S.B.Cas. (16 December 1446) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Sabina; ''commendatario'' of the see of Catania *

(24 May 1426) — Cardinal-Deacon of S. Giorgio in Velabro;

Pietro Barbo Pope Paul II ( la, Paulus II; it, Paolo II; 23 February 1417 – 26 July 1471), born Pietro Barbo, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 August 1464 to his death in July 1471. When his maternal uncle Eugene IV ...

(1 July 1440) — Cardinal-Deacon of S. Maria Nuova; administrator of the see of Cervia; archpriest of the

Vatican Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...

Absentees

* Pierre de Foix, O.F.M. (September 1414) — Cardinal-Bishop of Albano; legate in

Avignon Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region of So ...

; administrator of the sees of

Lescar Lescar (; oc, Lescar) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department and Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France. Lescar is the site of the Roman city known variously as Benearnum, Beneharnum or Civitas Benarnensium, the loca ...

and

Comminges The Comminges (; Occitan/ Gascon: ''Comenge'') is an ancient region of southern France in the foothills of the Pyrenees, corresponding closely to the arrondissement of Saint-Gaudens in the department of Haute-Garonne. This natural region is norma ...

Henry Beaufort Cardinal Henry Beaufort (c. 1375 – 11 April 1447), Bishop of Winchester, was an English prelate and statesman who held the offices of Bishop of Lincoln (1398) then Bishop of Winchester (1404) and was from 1426 a Cardinal of the Church of Ro ...

(24 May 1426) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Eusebio;

Protopriest The Protopriest of the College of Cardinals ( it, protopresbitero, and, rare, it, protoprete) in the College of Cardinals, is the first Cardinal-Priest in the order of precedence, hence directly after the Cardinal-bishops. This title is always ...

; administrator of the

see of Winchester The Diocese of Winchester forms part of the Province of Canterbury of the Church of England. Founded in 676, it is one of the older dioceses in England. It once covered Wessex, many times its present size which is today most of the historic enla ...

* Juan Cervantes (24 May 1426) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Pietro in Vincoli; administrator of the see of Segovia; papal legate in Lombardy *

John Kemp John Kemp ( – 22 March 1454, surname also spelled Kempe) was a medieval English cardinal, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor of England. Biography Kemp was the son of Thomas Kempe, a gentleman of Ollantigh, in the parish ...

(18 December 1439) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Balbina;

archbishop of York The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...

Compare Salvador Miranda (retrieved January 5, 2010), who is unique, and in contradiction to all the sources, as considering him to be present.

/ref> *

Isidore of Kiev Isidore of Kiev, also known as Isidore of Thessalonica or Isidore, the Apostate ( el, ; russian: Исидор; uk, Ісидор; 1385 – 27 April 1463), was a prelate of Byzantine Greek origin. From 1437 to 1441 he served as the Metropolitan ...

(18 December 1439) — Cardinal-Priest of SS. Marcellino e Pietro; titular archbishop of Kiev * Zbigniew Oleśnicki (18 December 1439) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Prisca;

bishop of Kraków A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

* Petrus von Schaumberg (18 December 1439) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Vitale;

bishop of Augsburg Diocese of Augsburg is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Germany. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Munich.Dénes Szécsi Dénes Szécsi de Felsőlendva (or ''Széchy; ''c. 1410 – 1 February 1465) was a Hungarian prelate and cardinal, who served as Archbishop of Esztergom from 1440 to 1465. He was the first Primate of Hungary since 1452 when donated the title a ...

(18 December 1439) — Cardinal-Priest of S. Ciriaco;

archbishop of Esztergom In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...

Notes

References

* Trollope, Thomas Adolphus. 1876.
The papal conclaves, as they were and as they are
'. *"Aenea Sylvii Senensis... de morte Eugenii IV. creationeque & coronatione Nicolai V..," ''Stephani Baluzii Miscellaneorum Liber Septimus'' (Paris 1715) 525-562. * F. Petruccelli della Gattina, ''Histoire diplomatique des conclaves'' Volume I (Paris: 1864), 236-252. *J. B. Sägmüller, ''Die Papstwahlen und die Staaten von 1447 bis 1555'' (Tübingen: H. Laupp 1890). *Ludwig Pastor, ''History of the Popes'' (tr. R.F. Kerr) third edition Volume II (St. Louis 1908), 3-26.
Notes on the Conclave of 1447, by Dr. J. P. Adams.
*Izbicki, Thomas M. 2007. "The politics of a conclave: the papal election of 1447." ''Cristianesimo nella storia'', 28: 277-284. {{Subject bar , portal1= Catholicism , portal2= Christianity , portal3= Vatican City , b=y, b-search=Biblical Studies/Christianity/Roman Catholicism/History , commons=y, commons-search=Papal conclave , n=y, n-search=Roman Catholic Church , q=y, q-search=Popes , s=y, s-search=Popes , v=y, v-search=Christian History , wikt=y, wikt-search=Pope , d=y

1447 Year 1447 (Roman numerals, MCDXLVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * March 6 – Pope Nicholas V succeeds Pope Eugene IV, to become the 2 ...

15th-century elections 1447 15th-century Catholicism