page_title: Latino Malabranca Orsini
section_title: Latino's first Conclave, 1280-1281
hierarchical_section_title: Latino Malabranca Orsini / Latino's first Conclave, 1280-1281
caption_attribution_description: Viterbo, Lazio, Italia
context_page_description: Latino Malabranca Orsini was a Roman noble, an Italian cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, and nephew of Pope Nicholas III.
context_section_description: Since Pope Nicholas had died inside the diocese of Viterbo, Pope Gregory's rules, even though they were in suspension, required that the Cardinals should meet in Viterbo to elect his successor. The Roman Curia was already residing there. The Episcopal Palace in Viterbo, which had already hosted the long election of 1268-1271, that of September 1276, and that of 1277, was again the site of a conclave.
  In Rome, as soon as the news of pope's death arrived, a coup-d-état against the Orsini government was led by Riccardo Annibaldi, whose forces were friendly to King Charles of Sicily. Unsuccessful, they were driven from the city. They headed for Viterbo, hoping to achieve the same coup where the Curia was in residence. This time they were successful.  Riccardo Annibaldi roused the people against the papal Podestà of the city of Viterbo, Orso Orsini, and established a new regime favorable to King Charles of Sicily and hostile to the Orsini; thus, the Angevin party hosted the Conclave which began in September.  Thirteen cardinals participated in the Conclave; and yet nine votes were necessary for a canonically valid election. The Orsini faction of the conclave, which included Cardinal Latino Malabranca and two other members of the Orsini family, forced a stalemate that lasted the entire year 1280. The Orsini faction had enough votes to block the Angevin candidate, and the Angevins had enough to prevent the election of an Orsini candidate. 
  The situation changed on February 2, 1281, the day of the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The people of Viterbo, led by Riccardo Annibaldi and six of his captains (including Raynerius Gatto), entered the Conclave, caused serious injuries to several of the cardinals, and kidnapped two of the Orsini cardinals, Matteo Rosso Orsini, Cardinal Deacon of S. Maria in Portico, and Giordano Orsini, Cardinal Deacon of San Eustachio. Antoninus of Florence states that Cardinal Latino Malabranca Orsini was also abducted, but released shortly thereafter.  Cardinal Giordano Orsini was released some three days later, having been made to agree to some stipulations (which, no doubt, compelled him to agree to vote for a candidate of King Charles).  Cardinal Matteo Orsini was kept in prison until after the conclusion of the Conclave, thereby reducing the number of electors to twelve, and the number of votes needed to elect to eight.  Even with the return of Cardinal Giordano, it took another two weeks to break the deadlock.  On Saturday, February 22, 1281, the Cardinals finally elected Cardinal Simon de Brion, who took the name Martin IV. He had been the papal Legate in France for many years, and was the person principally responsible for having negotiating the bringing of Charles of Anjou to Italy in the first place, and making him King of Sicily.
caption: The Cathedral and Episcopal Palace, Viterbo
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