US EditionA roofless palace in Italy's Viterbo hosted the first and longest conclave
- In November 1268, cardinals gathered in Viterbo, Italy to elect Pope Clement IV's successor in the longest papal election.
- The conclave lasted 1,006 days because strong divisions among cardinals and political factions delayed consensus until September 1271.
- Citizens, frustrated by funding the cardinals' stay, restricted their meals and exposed them by removing the roof of the palace’s main hall.
- A parchment dated June 8, 1270 records that the cardinals were locked inside a 'palazzo discoperto', meaning a palace without a roof.
- The election ended with Gregory X, who established strict conclave rules in Ubi Periculum that shaped future papal elections and shortened durations.
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41 Articles
The longest papal election in Church history lasted 1,006 days, from 1268 to 1271
The longest papal election in the history of the Church took place from 1268 to 1271 CE. It involved a clash between two powerful factions, and even the ordinary people became part of the unfolding drama. Here's a glimpse into that historic episode.
Associated Press News
A roofless palace in Italy's Viterbo hosted the first and longest conclave
It was the mounting rage of citizens in Viterbo, a small town north of Rome, that ended the longest papal election in the Catholic Church’s history, forging for the first time the word “conclave.”
The process of electing a Pope, better known as the conclave, may last hours, days or even weeks, but in the history of the Church there was an election that lasted for years. The longest conclave occurred between 1268 and 1271, when the cardinals took 33 months to elect the new pontiff after the death of Pope Clement IV. This historical episode forced civil authorities to intervene to speed up the decision. It may interest you: The Papamobile w…
A 1,005-day papal election. Cardinals were locked in Viterbo with bread and water - The Irish Catholic
Growing public pressure alone has ensured that the conclave today is usually a matter of a few days. One papal election in history once lasted over 1,000 days. The inhabitants of Viterbo found this too colourful. People love the conclave – and the media love it even more. The highest level of secrecy, at the… The post A 1,005-day papal election. Cardinals were locked in Viterbo with bread and water appeared first on The Irish Catholic.
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