Callixtus III (also Calixtus III or Callistus III; died between 1180 and 1184) was an antipope from September 1168 until his resignation in August 1178. He was the third antipope elected in opposition to Pope Alexander III during the latter's struggle with the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. Callixtus' baptismal name was John. He entered the Vallombrosan monastery of Struma near Arezzo as a boy. In November 1158, the emperor placed the Vallombrosan under imperial protection. By that time, John was the abbot of Struma and one of the most important supporters of the emperor in

Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

. After the disputed papal election of 1159, he supported the imperial candidate Victor IV over Alexander III. He was rewarded by Victor with the cardinal-bishopric of Albano, but was not immediately consecrated, rather continuing on as abbot. After the death of Victor's successor, Paschal III, on 20 September 1168, his supporters gathered in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

to elect a new (anti-)pope. John was chosen that same month. He took the name Callixtus and sent Umfredo, (pseudo-)cardinal of

Santa Susanna The Church of Saint Susanna at the Baths of Diocletian ( it, Chiesa di Santa Susanna alle Terme di Diocleziano) is a Roman Catholic parish church located on the Quirinal Hill in Rome, Italy. There has been a titular church associated to its site ...

, to

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to inform Frederick of his election. He found the emperor at an imperial diet in Bamberg in June 1169. Frederick, who was in negotiations with Alexander III to end the schism at the time, did not immediately recognize Callixtus' election. J. N. D. Kelly and Michael Walsh (2015)
"Callistus (III)"
''A Dictionary of Popes'' (3rd ed.). Oxford:

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

. According to Cardinal Boso of Santa Pudenziana, a partisan of Alexander III, Frederick was "inwardly deeply grieved" by the election of Callixtus, whom he had never met.John B. Freed (2016). ''Frederick Barbarossa: The Prince and the Myth''. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, p. 350. Nevertheless, Frederick expressed his intention to go with an army to Italy in 1170 to restore the unity of the Church. No such expedition took place, however. Late in 1169, Callixtus sent Umfredo and Sigewin, cardinal-bishop of

Viterbo Viterbo (; Viterbese: ; lat-med, Viterbium) is a city and ''comune'' in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in its early history ...

, as

legates A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the office ...

to Germany. They brought a

pallium The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : ''pallia'') is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropol ...

for Baldwin I, the new archbishop of Bremen. Frederick ordered a collection in Germany for Callixtus. Frederick recognized Callixtus only after his negotiations with Alexander broke down. The antipope was primarily a bargaining chip with which the emperor could pressure Alexander, and had only limited geographical support in comparison to Victor IV and Paschal III. He held Rome itself, but was acknowledge only in part of the Papal State, in his native Tuscany and in the

Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...

. He and his legates issued privileges for several monasteries in the

Upper Rhine The Upper Rhine (german: Oberrhein ; french: Rhin Supérieur) is the section of the Rhine between Basel in Switzerland and Bingen in Germany, surrounded by the Upper Rhine Plain. The river is marked by Rhine-kilometres 170 to 529 (the ...

land. He mainly resided in

. In 1173, Callixtus sent Martin, cardinal-bishop of

Tusculum Tusculum is a ruined Roman city in the Alban Hills, in the Latium region of Italy. Tusculum was most famous in Roman times for the many great and luxurious patrician country villas sited close to the city, yet a comfortable distance from Rome ( ...

, to Germany as legate to help mediate an alliance between Frederick and King Louis VII of France. For the next three years nothing is known of Callixtus' activities. Frederick, when it became politically expedient, after the defeat of Legnano, switched his backing to Alexander. In November 1176, he signed the Pact of Anagni, which did, however, protect Callixtus by granting him an abbacy and restoring the cardinals he had created to their former offices. These terms were confirmed in the final Peace of Venice in July 1177. Callixtus did not immediately recognize the Peace of Venice, but in 1178 Archbishop Christian of Mainz, the imperial chancellor, marched an army into Italy to retake the Papal State and Rome for Alexander. This rendered Callixtus' position at Viterbo untenable, and he fled to Monte Albano. On 29 August 1178, Callixtus submitted to Alexander III at

and abjured the schism. The pope entertained him with a feast. Some of his obstinate partisans sought to substitute a new antipope, and chose one Lando di Sezze under the name of

Innocent III Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 J ...

. Alexander appointed Callixtus rector of Benevento. He still held that position in 1180, but by 1184 he was dead.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Callixtus Iii, antipope Date of birth unknown Place of birth unknown Date of death unknown Place of death unknown 12th-century antipopes 12th-century Italian cardinals 12th-century Italian Roman Catholic bishops Callixtus 3 Cardinal-bishops of Albano