1404 conclave


The 1404 papal conclave – the papal conclave of the time of the Great Western Schism, convened after the death of Pope Boniface IX, it elected Cardinal Cosimo Migliorati, who took the name of Innocent VII.

Cardinal electors

Pope Boniface IX died on 1 October 1404. At the time of his death, there were only 12 cardinals in the Roman Obedience of the Sacred College. Nine of them participated in the election of his successor:
ElectorOrder and titular churchElevatedElevatorNotes
Angelo AcciaioliCardinal-Priest of S. Lorenzo in Damaso1384, December 17Urban VI
Francesco Carbone Tomacelli, O.Cist.Cardinal-Priest of S. Susanna1384, December 17Urban VIGrand penitentiary; Archpriest of the patriarchal Lateran Basilica
Angelo d'Anna de Sommariva, O.S.B.Cam.Cardinal-Priest of S. Pudenziana1384, December 17Urban VI
Enrico MinutoloCardinal-Priest of S. Anastasia1389, December 18Boniface IXArchpriest of the patriarchal Liberian Basilica; Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals
Cosimo Gentile Migliorati Cardinal-Priest of S. Croce in Gerusalemme1389, December 18Boniface IX
Cristoforo MaroniCardinal-Priest of S. Ciriaco1389, December 18Boniface IXArchpriest of the patriarchal Vatican Basilica
Antonio Caetani (seniore)Cardinal-Priest of S. Cecilia1402, February 27Boniface IX
Landolfo MaramaldoCardinal-Deacon of S. Nicola in Carcere Tulliano1381, December 21Urban VI
Rinaldo BrancaccioCardinal-Deacon of SS. Vito e Modesto1384, December 17Urban VI

All the electors were Italians. Five of them were elevated by Pope Urban VI, and four by Boniface IX.
Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church was at that time Corrado Caraccioli, bishop of Mileto.

Absentee cardinals

Three cardinals, two created by Urban VI and one by Boniface IX, did not participate in this conclave:
ElectorOrder and titular churchElevatedElevatorNotes
Bálint AlsániCardinal-Priest of S. Sabina1384, December 17Urban VIArchpriest of the Sacred College of Cardinals; Administrator of the see of Pécs
Ludovico FieschiCardinal-Deacon of S. Adriano1384, December 17Urban VIProtodeacon of the Sacred College of Cardinals; Administrator of the see of Vercelli
Baldassare CossaCardinal-Deacon of S. Eustachio1402, February 27Boniface IXLegate in Romagna and Bologna

Hungarian Alsani was the only non-Italian Cardinal in the Roman Obedience.

The election of Pope Innocent VII

Several churchmen and laymen urged "Roman" Cardinals not to elect the successor of Boniface IX and to recognise Benedict XIII of Avignon as Pope. Among the supporters of this point of view was Cardinal Protodeacon Ludovico Fieschi, who did not attend the conclave and later did not recognise its result.
In spite of this, nine cardinals present in Rome entered the conclave on October 10. Initially, they subscribed the conclave capitulation, which obliged whoever was elected to do everything possible in order to restore the unity of the Church. After seven days of deliberations Cardinal Cosimo Gentile Migliorati was unanimously elected pope and took the name of Innocent VII. Five days later Cardinal Fieschi officially abandoned the Roman Obedience and recognised Benedict XIII as true pope, so the rite of papal coronation on November 11 was performed by the new Protodeacon Landolfo Maramaldo.