The July 1276 papal conclave was a papal election held from 2 July to 11 July 1276 in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, Rome. It was convened to elect a successor to Pope Innocent V, who had died suddenly on 22 June 1276. The conclave resulted in the election of Ottobuono Fieschi, the Cardinal‑Deacon of Sant’Adriano al Foro, who took the papal name Adrian V.
Background
Pope Gregory X died on 10 January 1276 after a period of ill health. During his pontificate he issued the papal bull Ubi periculum (1274), which established the procedural rules for papal elections, including the confinement of the cardinals (the “conclave”) to expedite the selection of a new pope. The first conclave under these rules took place in January 1276, electing Pope Innocent V. Innocent V’s reign was brief; he died on 22 June 1276, creating a second vacancy in the same year.
Proceedings
Fourteen cardinals were eligible to vote; thirteen were present at the July conclave. The only absentee was Cardinal Simon de Brion, Cardinal‑Priest of Santa Cecilia. The attending cardinals included:
- João Pedro Julião, Cardinal‑Bishop of Frascati
- Vicedominus de Vicedominis, Cardinal‑Bishop of Palestrina
- Bertrand de Saint‑Martin, Cardinal‑Bishop of Sabina
- Simone Paltanieri, Cardinal‑Priest of SS. Silvestro e Martino
- Ancher Pantaleon, Cardinal‑Priest of S. Prassede
- Guillaume de Bray, Cardinal‑Priest of S. Marco
- Riccardo Annibaldi, Cardinal‑Deacon of S. Angelo in Pescheria
- Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, Cardinal‑Deacon of S. Nicola in Carcere Tulliano
- Ottobuono Fieschi, Cardinal‑Deacon of S. Adriano
- Giacomo Savelli, Cardinal‑Deacon of S. Maria in Cosmedin
- Goffredo da Alatri, Cardinal‑Deacon of S. Giorgio in Velabro
- Uberto Coconati, Cardinal‑Deacon of S. Eustachio
- Matteo Rosso Orsini, Cardinal‑Deacon of S. Maria in Portico
After nine days of deliberation, the cardinals elected Ottobuono Fieschi, who assumed the name Adrian V.
Aftermath
Pope Adrian V’s pontificate was exceptionally short; he died on 18 August 1276, after only 38 days on the throne. His death triggered a third papal election in the same year, which took place in September 1276 and resulted in the election of Pope John XXI.
Significance
The July 1276 conclave is notable for being the second of three papal elections that occurred in 1276, a year sometimes referred to as the “Year of the Four Popes.” It illustrates the early application of the conclave procedures established by Ubi periculum and highlights the political and health-related instability that affected the papacy in the late 13th century.