The 1484 papal conclave (26–29 August) elected
Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII (; ; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death, in July 1492. Son of the viceroy of Naples, Cybo spent his ea ...
after the death of
Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV (or Xystus IV, ; born Francesco della Rovere; (21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 until his death in 1484. His accomplishments as pope included ...
.
The election
At the death of Sixtus IV, the
conclave
A conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to appoint the pope of the Catholic Church. Catholics consider the pope to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and the earthly head of the Catholic Church.
Concerns around ...
of cardinals that met to elect his successor numbered thirty-two cardinals.
The immediate context of the election was the nearly unprecedented packing of the
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals (), also called the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. there are cardinals, of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Appointed by the pope, ...
by Sixtus IV, not only in terms of overall size, but also in terms of
cardinal-nephew
A cardinal-nephew (; ; ; ; )Signorotto and Visceglia, 2002, p. 114. Modern French scholarly literature uses the term "cardinal-neveu'". was a Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal elevated by a pope who was that cardinal's relative. The practice of c ...
s and
crown cardinals.
[Burkle-Young, Francis A. 1998.]
The election of Pope Innocent VIII (1484)
. As a result, nearly all of the non-Venetian cardinals supported the continuation of Sixtus IV's policies of isolation towards the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...
, specifically the
Peace of Bagnolo.
However, the two factions of cardinals differed over whether the church ought to prioritize the continuation of the
Italian League or should prioritize papal power (especially vis-a-vis Naples) over the preservation of the peace.
Cardinal Borja led the first faction and Cardinal della Rovere, the second; these factions were roughly aligned with the Orsini and Colonna families, respectively.
The conclave was carried out by the largest non-schismatic College since the eleventh century.
Because of an intense dispute between the Colonna and Orsini, the city of Rome was marked by far more civil unrest during the ''
sede vacante
In the Catholic Church, ''sede vacante'' is the state during which a diocese or archdiocese is without a prelate installed in office, with the prelate's office being the cathedral. The term is used frequently in reference to a papal interre ...
'' than was to be expected historically. While Count Girolamo Riario was away besieging a Colonna stronghold, his palace was sacked and his wife fled to the
Castel Sant'Angelo. Upon his return to the city Count Riario joined his wife and held the Castel until persuaded to withdraw from the city with payment of 4000 ducats.
[Adams, John Paul. "Sede Vacant August 12, 1484—August 29, 1484", California State University, Northridge]
/ref>
In order to prevent the selection of Cardinal Barbo, on the evening before the election, after the cardinals retired for the night, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, nephew of the late Pope, and Cardinal Borgia, the Vice-Chancellor, visited a number of cardinals and secured their votes with the promise of various benefices.
Cardinal electors
Absentee cardinals
Notes
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1484
15th-century elections
1484 in Europe
15th-century Catholicism
Pope Innocent VIII