Vicedomino de Vicedominis facts for kids
Vicedomino de Vicedominis was an important Italian cardinal. He lived from about 1210 to 1276. He was also the nephew of Pope Gregory X.
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His Early Life and Family
Vicedomino was born in Piacenza, Italy. He was married and had two children. After his wife passed away, he chose to become a clergyman. One of his sons, Gregory, later became a church official. He was a Provost in Grasse and then in Marseille.
Working in Provence
It's not fully known how Vicedomino ended up in Provence, a region in France. But we know he worked for Count Raymond Béringuer V. Later, he worked for Charles of Anjou. He received a regular payment from Count Raymond. Charles of Anjou and his wife Beatrice continued this payment.
Vicedomino's career grew steadily. In 1241, he was a Canon of Clermont and Provost of Barjols. He was sent to Geneva by Count Raymond. His job was to create a peace treaty with the city. In these documents, he was called a Judge of the Count's Court. He had a similar role in Avignon in 1243. Count Raymond died in 1245.
In 1251, Vicedomino became the Treasurer of the Church of Béziers. He was also a Chaplain to Pope Innocent IV. The Pope allowed him to hold important church positions. This was special because Vicedomino had been married and had children. He also helped arrange a peace treaty between Arles and Count Charles. By the end of 1251, he was Provost of Grasse. In 1254, he was allowed to hold several church jobs at once. These included the Provostship of Grasse and a Canonry at Narbonne.
Archbishop of Aix
In 1257, Vicedomino de Vicedominis was chosen to be the Archbishop of Aix. Pope Alexander IV confirmed this choice. He needed special permission because he had been married and had a son. He became a priest and bishop in 1258.
His relative, Grimier de Vicedominis, helped him a lot. Vicedomino first made Grimier an official in his court. Then Grimier became an Archdeacon and later his Vicar-General. Grimier even became the next Archbishop of Aix after Vicedomino.
In 1265, Archbishop Vicedomino traveled to Italy. He went with Charles of Anjou and his wife Beatrice. Charles was invited to become a Senator in Rome and King of Sicily. Queen Beatrice named Vicedomino as one of the people to carry out her will when she died in 1266.
Becoming a Cardinal
On June 3, 1273, Vicedomino de Vicedominis became one of five new cardinals. His uncle, Pope Gregory X, chose him. He moved from being Archbishop of Aix to a higher role. He became the Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina. This happened during a big church meeting called the Council of Vienne. So, Vicedomino stayed at the Council instead of going straight to his new area.
When the Council ended, Pope Gregory X started his trip back to Rome. For some reason, Vicedomino was not with the Pope's group. He was also not present at important events later on. For example, he was not with the Pope when he died in Arezzo in January 1276.
Papal Elections (Conclaves)
Vicedomino was present for the start of the first papal election of 1276. This election was held in Arezzo. It was the first election to follow new rules made by Pope Gregory X. The election lasted only one day. On January 21, Cardinal Peter of Tarantaise was chosen as the new Pope. He took the name Pope Innocent V. He died on June 22 of the same year. Some old records say he was poisoned.
The second papal election of 1276 started in Rome on July 2. It lasted ten days. King Charles of Sicily was in Rome and could influence the election. Cardinal Ottobono Fieschi was chosen as Pope on July 11. He took the name Pope Adrian V. Vicedomino de Vicedominis supported him. Pope Adrian V died suddenly on August 18, 1276. He had been Pope for only 39 days. He had not even been officially crowned. During his short time, he suspended the rules for papal elections. He wanted to improve them.
The third papal election of 1276 happened in Viterbo. Eleven cardinals took part. The exact start date is not known. This is because the election rules had been suspended. The election was delayed for a few days due to problems in Viterbo. When the election finally began, on September 8, 1276, Cardinal Peter Julian of Lisbon was elected. He became Pope John XXI. Cardinal Vicedomino de Vicedominis did not vote in this election. He had died two days earlier, on September 6.
Myths and Legends
Some stories wrongly say that Vicedomino became the leader of the College of Cardinals in 1275.
Later stories, from the 1600s, claim that Vicedomino was elected Pope on September 5, 1276. They say he chose the name Gregory XI. However, he supposedly died the next morning, so his election was never officially recorded. His death was noted in his hometown of Piacenza on September 6. But it only says he was a cardinal, not a Pope.
Many modern historians do not believe this story. They say there is no proof from that time. Also, the timeline of the 1276 election does not support it. It is also said that he joined a religious group called the Third Order of S. Francis. This was supposedly when he was very sick and close to death. But if he was so sick, it makes it unlikely that cardinals would have chosen him as Pope.
The remains of Vicedomino's tomb are in the church of San Francesco in Viterbo.
Images for kids
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Tomb of Vicedomino in Viterbo
See also
In Spanish: Vicedomino de Vicedominis para niños
