# 1287–1288 papal election

The 1287–88 papal election (April 4 – February 22) was the deadliest papal election in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, with six (or five) of the sixteen (or fifteen) cardinal electors perishing during the deliberations. Eventually, the cardinals elected Girolamo Masci, O.Min. as Pope Nicholas IV, almost a year after the death of Pope Honorius IV, who died on April 3, 1287. Nicholas IV was the first Franciscan pope.
The cardinals' deaths are usually attributed to malaria. After the deaths of the six cardinals, the remaining electors—with the exception of Masci—left Rome and reassembled on 15 February 1288. When the Cardinals reassembled in February, 1288, there were seven electors left: Latino Malabranca, Bentivenga de Bentivengis, Girolamo Masci, Bernard de Languissel, Matteo Rosso Orsini, Giacomo Colonna, and Benedetto Caetani. Upon finding that Masci had remained at Santa Sabina in Rome the reassembled cardinals immediately elected him, but he refused until he was re-elected on February 22. It was thought at the time that Masci had survived by keeping a fire burning in his room to "purify" the pestilential vapors, or mal aria thought to cause the disease.
The election was held near Santa Sabina on Aventine Hill in the Savelli palace, Corte Savella, which Honorius IV had built and used as the de facto papal residence. According to Smith, Nicholas IV was, like his predecessor, "an undisguised partisan of the French interest" and "another example of the dishonest use of spiritual authority for political ends, by releasing Charles II of Naples from an inconvenient oath to Alfonso III of Aragon".

## Cardinal electors

| Elector | Nationality | Order | Title | Elevated | Elevator | Notes |
| Bentivenga da Bentivengi, O.F.M. | Acquasparta | Cardinal-bishop | Bishop of Albano | March 12, 1278 | Nicholas III | Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals; Major Penitentiarius |
| Latino Malabranca Orsini, O.P. | Roman | Cardinal-bishop | Bishop of Ostia e Velletri | March 12, 1278 | Nicholas III | Inquisitor General of the Papal Inquisition; nephew of Pope Honorius IV |
| Bernard de Languissel | French | Cardinal-bishop | Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina | April 12, 1281 | Martin IV | |
| Giovanni Boccamazza | Roman | Cardinal-bishop | Bishop of Frascati | December 22, 1285 | Honorius IV | Cardinal-nephew |
| Gerardo Bianchi | Parma | Cardinal-bishop | Bishop of Sabina | March 12, 1278 | Nicholas III | Some sources indicate that he was absent |
| Girolamo Masci, O.F.M. | Ascoli | Cardinal-bishop | Bishop of Palestrina | March 12, 1278 | Nicholas III | Elected Pope Nicholas IV |
| Jean Cholet | French | Cardinal-priest | Title of S. Cecilia | April 12, 1281 | Martin IV | Protopriest |
| Matteo Rosso Orsini | Roman | Cardinal-deacon | Deacon of S. Maria in Portico | May 22, 1262 | Urban IV | Protodeacon after the death of Goffredo da Alatri; archpriest of the Vatican Basilica since 1278; cardinal-protector of the Order of Franciscans |
| Giacomo Colonna | Roman | Cardinal-deacon | Deacon of S. Maria in Via Lata | March 12, 1278 | Nicholas III | Archpriest of the Liberian Basilica |
| Benedetto Caetani, seniore | Anagni | Cardinal-deacon | Deacon of S. Nicola in Carcere Tulliano | April 12, 1281 | Martin IV | Future Pope Boniface VIII |
| Goffredo da Alatri† | Alatri | Cardinal-deacon | Deacon of S. Giorgio in Velabro | December 17, 1261 | Urban IV | Protodeacon; Died in 1287, possibly during the sede vacante after April 3, 1287 |
| Giordano Orsini† | Roman | Cardinal-deacon | Deacon of S. Eustachio | March 12, 1278 | Nicholas III | Died during the sede vacante on September 8, 1287 |
| Hugh of Evesham† | English | Cardinal-priest | Title of S. Lorenzo in Lucina | April 12, 1281 | Martin IV | Died during the sede vacante on September 4, 1287 |
| Gervais Jeancolet de Clinchamp† | French | Cardinal-priest | Title of Ss. Silvestro e Martino ai Monti | April 12, 1281 | Martin IV | Died during the sede vacante on September 15, 1287 |
| Glusiano de Casate† | Milanese | Cardinal-priest | Title of Ss. Marcellino e Pietro | April 12, 1281 | Martin IV | Died during the sede vacante on April 8, 1287 |
| Geoffroy de Bar† | French | Cardinal-priest | Title of S. Susanna | April 12, 1281 | Martin IV | Died during the sede vacante on August 21, 1287 |