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1,006 Days Of Deadlock: The Shocking True Story Of The Longest Papal Conclave In History

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The longest papal election in the history of the Catholic Church did not last for weeks or months, but for an astonishing 1,006 days, spanning nearly three full years. This monumental political and spiritual deadlock, known as the Viterbo Conclave, took place between November 1268 and September 1271, and its drawn-out, chaotic nature was so scandalous that it single-handedly forced the creation of the modern, secretive Conclave system we know today.

As of the current date, December 22, 2025, the Viterbo election remains the unparalleled benchmark for electoral failure, a crisis so profound it required the intervention of local magistrates, a starvation diet, and the literal removal of the roof above the cardinals’ heads. The desperate measures taken by the citizens of Viterbo were not just a historical footnote; they were the catalyst for the enduring electoral law, *Ubi periculum*, which governs the selection of the Roman Pontiff to this day.

The Viterbo Conclave: A Three-Year Crisis of Faith and Factions

The epic, 1,006-day election began following the death of Pope Clement IV on November 29, 1268, in the city of Viterbo, located north of Rome. At the time, there were no established, strict rules for papal elections, meaning the cardinals were not automatically secluded. The 19 cardinals who gathered in the city's Palazzo dei Papi quickly became ensnared in an irreconcilable political deadlock that paralyzed the Church.

The Factions That Caused the Deadlock

The root of the prolonged crisis was a deep, bitter division between two powerful political factions within the College of Cardinals:

  • The French (Angevine) Faction: Supported by King Charles I of Anjou, the powerful French ruler of Sicily and Naples. This faction sought a French-friendly Pope who would consolidate Charles’s power in Italy and the Papal States.
  • The Italian (Imperial/Ghibelline) Faction: Represented the Italian interests and sought a Pope who would resist the growing French influence and maintain the balance of power, often leaning toward the Holy Roman Empire (the Ghibelline cause).

With neither side willing to concede the two-thirds majority required for an election, the cardinals' daily votes in the Viterbo Cathedral became a futile exercise. The initial number of electors was 19, but the poor conditions and the extreme length of the proceedings led to the death of at least one cardinal and the withdrawal of another, further complicating the voting dynamics.

The Desperate Intervention: Bread, Water, and a Missing Roof

As the election dragged on into its second and then third year, the patience of the people of Viterbo—and the wider Christian world—wore thin. The cardinals, who were initially living in relative comfort, were accused of prioritizing political intrigue and personal luxury over the spiritual needs of the Church.

The city magistrates, led by the Podestà of Viterbo, Raniero Gatti, decided to take drastic and unprecedented action to force a decision. This intervention is the most famous and shocking aspect of the entire event, giving the election its legendary status.

The magistrates first ordered the cardinals to be physically locked inside the Palazzo dei Papi, a measure that gave rise to the term "conclave" (from the Latin *cum clave*, meaning "with a key"). When this failed to break the stalemate, the magistrates escalated their pressure:

  • Reduced Rations: The cardinals’ diet was severely restricted to only bread and water.
  • The Roof Removal: In a final, humiliating act, the magistrates ordered the roof of the Palazzo dei Papi to be removed. This exposed the cardinals to the elements—the summer heat and winter cold—making their living conditions unbearable and impossible to ignore.

This extreme external pressure, which lasted for months, finally broke the will of the divided College. The cardinals, desperate to escape their miserable conditions, agreed to delegate the election to a small, six-member compromise committee.

The Compromise and the Election of Pope Gregory X

The committee of six, which included the powerful Cardinal Bonaventure, was tasked with selecting a candidate acceptable to both the French and Italian factions. They made a revolutionary choice: Teobaldo Visconti, a non-cardinal who was a respected papal legate currently serving with the Eighth Crusade in Acre (modern-day Israel).

Visconti was a neutral outsider, a diplomat with no direct ties to the feuding Italian families or the French king, making him the perfect compromise candidate. He was unanimously elected on September 1, 1271, finally bringing the 1,006-day ordeal to an end. Visconti accepted the election and took the name Pope Gregory X.

The election of a non-cardinal by a compromise committee was a pivotal moment, signaling a new era in papal selection that prioritized unity over political gain.

The Enduring Legacy: How The Crisis Created the Modern Conclave

Pope Gregory X was acutely aware that the disastrous Viterbo election had severely damaged the Church's authority and reputation. His first order of business upon being consecrated was to ensure such a scandal could never happen again.

In 1274, during the Second Council of Lyon, Pope Gregory X promulgated the papal bull "Ubi periculum" (Latin for "Where there is danger"). This constitution formally established the strict rules that define the modern Conclave process:

  • Mandatory Seclusion: Cardinals must be enclosed in one place (*cum clave*) and cut off from all outside communication.
  • The Diet Penalty: If a Pope is not elected within three days, the cardinals' diet is reduced to one dish for lunch and one for dinner.
  • The Final Sanction: If no election occurs after eight days, the diet is reduced further to only bread, water, and wine, and the cardinals' stipends are cut.

The impact of *Ubi periculum* was immediate, dramatically shortening the average length of papal elections. Though the constitution was temporarily suspended and re-enacted several times over the centuries, its core principles—seclusion, secrecy, and the threat of discomfort to hasten a decision—remain the foundation of the process that elects the Pope today. The longest conclave in history, therefore, was not merely a three-year delay; it was the painful birth of the most secretive and sacred election process in the world.

1,006 Days of Deadlock: The Shocking True Story of the Longest Papal Conclave in History
longest conclave in history
longest conclave in history

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