Papal conclave, 1513
Encyclopedia
The papal conclave in 1513 elected Giovanni de'Medici as Pope Leo X
to succeed Pope Julius II
.
Twenty-five of the living thirty-two cardinals entered the conclave on March 3 or March 4. The first several days were spent on the drafting of a conclave capitulation
, regulating the procedures of the conclave and agreeing on the benefice
s that would be granted to the various cardinals, including a payment of 1,500 ducats by whoever was elected, upon the completion of the election. Among the conclavists was Giacomo di Brescia, the private physician required by Cardinal Medici; Giacomo, despite his plea, was not permitted to leave early once his services were no longer required.
The first scrutiny took place on March 10 after a ceremonial reading of Julius II's bull against simony
. The voting itself took place in the no longer extant chapel of S. Niccolo da Bari. As the ranking cardinal-deacon
, Medici himself was charged with the counting of the ballots. Cardinal Serra i Cau (called Alborense) received thirteen votes on the first ballot. Although Pirie subscribes this outcome to chance (see below), Roscoe argues that Alborense had the support of the older cardinals, while the younger, and particularly the royal and noble cardinals supported Medici.
That night at dinner, Cardinal Medici and Cardinal Raffaele Riario
(the two leading papabile
) were seen in closer conversation although no other observer was able to make out the subject. Even before the vote took place the next morning, a rumor spread among the cardinals as to the outcome of the conversation, and every other cardinal flocked to Medici's cell to congratulate him. Trollope claims that every cardinal did such because "it is ill voting against a man to-day who is to be the despotic master of your fate and fortunes on the morrow".
Medici was unanimously elected on the first scrutiny in the morning. A window which had been boarded closed for the conclave was smashed open and Cardinal Alessandro Farnese
(future Pope Paul III) announced Medici by his chosen papal name
, Leo X.
Florentine banker Filippo Strozzi the Younger
accompanied Medici to Rome for the conclave; Strozzi's brother (a disciple of Savonarola) claimed that: "inasmuch as the latter aspired not without good reason to the Papacy, it was likely enough that he might have to vail himself of Filippo's credit".
tested the ex ante probability of Pirie's account, assuming that the cardinals assumed that all but a handful of the assembled twenty-five cardinals were not among the papabile
, and thus were not perceived as being able to receive the requisite seventeen votes, and that only a smaller number of these, m, had absolutely no supporters. Lo Bello further assumes that r cardinals participated in the strategy that Pirie outlines and calculates the probabilities for 17 ≤ r ≤ 25, using factorial
s. The probability of Pirie's account occurring in terms of r and m was:
and the probability of a candidate receiving seventeen votes was
Lo Bello concludes that the probability of Pirie's account is < 1% for reasonable values of r and m, and that, were Pirie's account to be correct, the "shock" of the cardinals was misjudged because the probability of actually electing a pope with this method was far less, < 0.1%.
Six more cardinals chose not to participate in the conclave:
Four more had been excommunicated by Julius II, and thus could not participate (all were reinstated by Leo X):
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...
to succeed Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II , nicknamed "The Fearsome Pope" and "The Warrior Pope" , born Giuliano della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513...
.
Balloting
Conclave capitulation
A conclave capitulation is a capitulation drawn up by the College of Cardinals during a papal conclave, attempting to constrain the actions of the Pope elected by the conclave. Generally, all cardinals would swear to uphold it if elected Pope, and the capitulation would be finished before the first...
, regulating the procedures of the conclave and agreeing on the benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
s that would be granted to the various cardinals, including a payment of 1,500 ducats by whoever was elected, upon the completion of the election. Among the conclavists was Giacomo di Brescia, the private physician required by Cardinal Medici; Giacomo, despite his plea, was not permitted to leave early once his services were no longer required.
The first scrutiny took place on March 10 after a ceremonial reading of Julius II's bull against simony
Simony
Simony is the act of paying for sacraments and consequently for holy offices or for positions in the hierarchy of a church, named after Simon Magus , who appears in the Acts of the Apostles 8:9-24...
. The voting itself took place in the no longer extant chapel of S. Niccolo da Bari. As the ranking cardinal-deacon
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
, Medici himself was charged with the counting of the ballots. Cardinal Serra i Cau (called Alborense) received thirteen votes on the first ballot. Although Pirie subscribes this outcome to chance (see below), Roscoe argues that Alborense had the support of the older cardinals, while the younger, and particularly the royal and noble cardinals supported Medici.
That night at dinner, Cardinal Medici and Cardinal Raffaele Riario
Raffaele Riario
Raffaele Sansoni Galeoti Riario was an Italian Cardinal of the Renaissance, mainly known as the constructor of the Palazzo della Cancelleria and the one who invited Michelangelo to Rome. He was a patron of the arts...
(the two leading papabile
Papabile
Papabile is an unofficial Italian term first coined by Vaticanologists and now used internationally in many languages to describe a cardinal of whom it is thought likely or possible that he will be elected pope. A literal English translation would be "popeable" or "one who might become pope".In...
) were seen in closer conversation although no other observer was able to make out the subject. Even before the vote took place the next morning, a rumor spread among the cardinals as to the outcome of the conversation, and every other cardinal flocked to Medici's cell to congratulate him. Trollope claims that every cardinal did such because "it is ill voting against a man to-day who is to be the despotic master of your fate and fortunes on the morrow".
Medici was unanimously elected on the first scrutiny in the morning. A window which had been boarded closed for the conclave was smashed open and Cardinal Alessandro Farnese
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III , born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack of Rome in 1527 and rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation...
(future Pope Paul III) announced Medici by his chosen papal name
Papal name
A papal name is a regnal name taken by popes. Beginning in the sixth century, some popes adopted a new name upon their accession to the papacy; this became customary in the 10th century, and every pope since the 16th century has done so.-History:...
, Leo X.
Florentine banker Filippo Strozzi the Younger
Filippo Strozzi the Younger
thumb|250px|A view of [[Palazzo Strozzi]] in Florence.Filippo Strozzi the Younger was an Italian condottiero and banker, the most famous member of the Florentine Strozzi family in the Renaissance.-Biography:...
accompanied Medici to Rome for the conclave; Strozzi's brother (a disciple of Savonarola) claimed that: "inasmuch as the latter aspired not without good reason to the Papacy, it was likely enough that he might have to vail himself of Filippo's credit".
Pirie's account
According to Valerie Pirie's The Triple Crown (1936):Twenty-five cardinals entered the conclave. The absence of the French element left practically only two contending parties-the young and the old. The former had secretly settled on Giovanni de' Medici; the second openly supported S. Giorgio, England's candidate. The Sacred College had been assembled almost a week before the first serious scrutiny took place. Many of the cardinals, wishing to temporise and conceal their real intentions, had voted for the man they considered least likely to have any supporters. As luck would have it, thirteen prelates had selected the same outsider, with the result that they all but elected Arborense, the most worthless nonentity present. This narrow shave gave the Sacred College such a shock that its members determined to come to some agreement which would put matters on a more satisfactory basis for both parties.
Mathematical evaluation
Prof. Anthony Lo Bello of Allegheny CollegeAllegheny College
Allegheny College is a private liberal arts college located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the town of Meadville. Founded in 1815, the college has about 2,100 undergraduate students.-Early history:...
tested the ex ante probability of Pirie's account, assuming that the cardinals assumed that all but a handful of the assembled twenty-five cardinals were not among the papabile
Papabile
Papabile is an unofficial Italian term first coined by Vaticanologists and now used internationally in many languages to describe a cardinal of whom it is thought likely or possible that he will be elected pope. A literal English translation would be "popeable" or "one who might become pope".In...
, and thus were not perceived as being able to receive the requisite seventeen votes, and that only a smaller number of these, m, had absolutely no supporters. Lo Bello further assumes that r cardinals participated in the strategy that Pirie outlines and calculates the probabilities for 17 ≤ r ≤ 25, using factorial
Factorial
In mathematics, the factorial of a non-negative integer n, denoted by n!, is the product of all positive integers less than or equal to n...
s. The probability of Pirie's account occurring in terms of r and m was:
and the probability of a candidate receiving seventeen votes was
Lo Bello concludes that the probability of Pirie's account is < 1% for reasonable values of r and m, and that, were Pirie's account to be correct, the "shock" of the cardinals was misjudged because the probability of actually electing a pope with this method was far less, < 0.1%.
Electors
Twenty-five cardinals participated in the election:- Raffaele RiarioRaffaele RiarioRaffaele Sansoni Galeoti Riario was an Italian Cardinal of the Renaissance, mainly known as the constructor of the Palazzo della Cancelleria and the one who invited Michelangelo to Rome. He was a patron of the arts...
- Domenico GrimaniDomenico GrimaniDomenico Grimani was a Venetian Churchman and Cardinal. From 1498 to 1517 he was Patriarch of Aquileia, and from 1517 to 1520 bishop of Ceneda. He became a cardinal in 1493. Grimani was not ordained a priest until 1498. After the election of Pope Julius II he became cardinal priest of San Marco...
- Jaime Serra I CauJaime Serra I CauJaume Serra i Cau was a Spanish Valencian cardinal, from the city of Valencia. He was tutor to the young Giovanni Borgia, and a close associate of his father Pope Alexander VI....
- Marco Vigerio della Rovere
- Francesco SoderiniFrancesco SoderiniFrancesco di Tommaso Soderini was a major diplomatic and Church figure of Renaissance Italy, and brother of Piero Soderini. He was an adversary of the Medici family....
- Giovanni de' Medici (elected Pope Leo XPope Leo XPope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...
) - Alessandro Farnese (future Pope Paul IIIPope Paul IIIPope Paul III , born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack of Rome in 1527 and rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation...
) - Luigi d'Aragona
- Tamás BakóczTamás BakóczTamás Bakócz was a Hungarian archbishop, cardinal and statesman.In sources in Croatian, Tamás Bakócz is also referred under the name Toma Bakač....
- Marco CornaroMarco CornaroMarco Cornaro , also known as Marco Corner, was the 59th doge of Venice, ruling between 1365 and 1368. His brief reign saw the loss of Venetian territory to Genoa and the Ottoman Empire, though Venice was to enjoy economic growth during this time.-Biography:The Cornaro family to which the future...
- Francisco de Remolins
- Niccolò FieschiNiccolò FieschiNiccolò Fieschi was an Italian Cardinal, of a prominent family of Genoa which features in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra.He was bishop of Fréjus from 1485, and bishop of Agde from 1488...
- Adriano di Castello
- Robert Guibé
- Leonardo Grosso della Rovere
- Carlo Domenico del CarrettoCarlo Domenico del CarrettoCarlo Domenico del Carretto was an Italian papal legate and Cardinal. He was called the Cardinal of Finale.-Biography:He was born to a noble family of Finale Ligure, the son of Giovanni I Lazzarino, marquis of Finale and Noli and Viscontina Adorno, daughter of Barnaba Adorno, doge of Genoa .-Early...
- Sigismondo GonzagaSigismondo GonzagaSigismondo Gonzaga was an Italian cardinal. He was the third son of Federico I Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua....
- Sisto Gara della Rovere
- Christopher BainbridgeChristopher BainbridgeChristopher Bainbridge was an English Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of York from 1508 until his death.-Early life:...
- Antonio Maria Ciocchi del Monte
- Pietro AccoltiPietro AccoltiPietro Accolti , known as the "cardinal of Ancona", was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal. He was born in Florence, the son of Benedetto Accolti sr, and died at Rome Pietro Accolti (15 March 1455 – 11 December 1532), known as the "cardinal of Ancona", was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal. He was...
- Achille Grassi
- Matthäus SchinerMatthäus SchinerMatthäus Schiner was a Swiss bishop of Sion, Cardinal, and diplomat. He was a military commander in several battles in northern Italy....
- Bandinello Sauli
- Alfonso PetrucciAlfonso PetrucciAlfonso Petrucci was an Italian nobleman, born to the Petrucci dynasty. He was the son of Pandolfo Petrucci. In 1511, he was made a cardinal, which gave the Petrucci dynasty some influence with the church....
Six more cardinals chose not to participate in the conclave:
- Ippolito d'EsteIppolito d'EsteIppolito d'Este was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal, and Archbishop of Esztergom. He was a member of the House of Este.-Biography:...
- Philippe de LuxembourgPhilippe de LuxembourgPhilippe de Luxembourg was a French CardinalHe was bishop of Le Mans in 1476. He was bishop of Thérouanne 1496 to 1513, and bishop of Saint-Pons in 1509, when his nephew died, and until 1512, when he resigned in favour of François-Guillaume de Castelnau de Clermont-Lodève...
- Amanieu d'Albret
- François Guillaume de Castelnau-Clermont-LudèveFrançois Guillaume de Castelnau-Clermont-LudèveFrançois Guillaume de Castelnau de Clermont-Ludève was a French diplomat and CardinalHe was administrator of Saint-Pons-de-Thomières ; archbishop of Narbonne from 1502; bishop of Auch in 1507; bishop of Senez, 1508-9; bishop of Valence 1523-1531, and bishop of Agde from 1531. He was created...
- Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros
- Matthäus Lang von WellenburgMatthäus Lang von WellenburgMatthäus Lang von Wellenburg was a statesman of the Holy Roman Empire, a Cardinal and Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg from 1519 to his death....
Four more had been excommunicated by Julius II, and thus could not participate (all were reinstated by Leo X):
- Federico di Sanseverino
- Bernardino López de CarvajalBernardino López de CarvajalBernardino López de Carvajal was a Spanish Cardinal.He was a nephew of Cardinal Juan Carvajal, and advanced rapidly in the ecclesiastical career at Rome, whither he came during the pontificate of Pope Sixtus IV...
- Guillaume BriçonnetGuillaume BriçonnetGuillaume Briçonnet may refer to* Guillaume Briçonnet * Guillaume Briçonnet his son...
- René de Prie