Pope Innocent VII, born
Cosimo de' Migliorati (c.
1336 –
November 6, 1406), was briefly
Pope at Rome, from
1404 to his death, during the
Western Schism (1378–1417) while there was a rival Pope,
antipope Benedict XIII (
1394–1423), at
Avignon.
Migliorati was born to a simple family of
Sulmona in the
Abruzzi. He distinguished himself by his learning in both civil and
Canon Law, which he taught for a time at
Perugia and
Padua. His teacher
Giovanni da Legnano sponsored him at Rome, where
Pope Urban VI (1378–89) took him into the
Curia, sent him for ten years as papal collector to
England, made him
bishop of Bologna in 1386, at a time of strife in that city, and
archbishop of
Ravenna in 1387.
Pope Boniface IX (1389–1404) made him
cardinal, and employed him as legate in several delicate and important missions. When Boniface IX died, there were present in Rome delegates from the rival Pope at Avignon, Benedict XIII. The Roman cardinals asked these delegates if their master would abdicate, if the cardinals refrained from holding an election. When they were bluntly told that Benedict XIII would never abdicate (indeed he never did), the cardinals proceeded to an election. First, however, they all undertook a solemn oath to leave nothing undone, if needs be even to lay down the
tiara, in order to terminate the schism.
Migliorati was unanimously chosen – by eight cardinals – (
October 17, 1404) and took the name of Innocent VII. There was a general riot by the
Ghibelline party in Rome when news of his election got out, but peace was maintained by the aid of King
Ladislaus of Naples (1399–1414), who hastened to Rome with a band of soldiers to assist the Pope in suppressing the insurrection. For his services the King extorted various concessions from Innocent VII, among them the promise that he would not reach any accommodation with the rival Pope in Avignon that would compromise Ladislas' claims to Naples, which had been challenged until very recently by
Louis II of Anjou. That suited Innocent VII, who had no intention of reaching an agreement with Avignon that would compromise his claims to the
Papal States, either. Thus Innocent VII was laid under embarrassing obligations, from which he freed himself at the earliest possible moment.
Innocent VII had made the great mistake of elevating his highly unsuitable nephew, Ludovico Migliorati – a colorful
condottiere formerly in the pay of
Giangaleazzo Visconti of
Milan, most of whose violent career as a soldier of fortune lay ahead of him – to the cardinalate, an act of nepotism that cost him dearly. In August
1405, the cardinal waylaid eleven members of the obstreperous Roman partisans on their return from a conference with the Pope, and had them assassinated in his own house and their bodies thrown from the windows of the hospital of Santo Spirito into the street. There was an uproar. Pope, court and cardinals, with the Migliorati faction, fled towards
Viterbo. Ludovico took the occasion of driving off cattle that were grazing outside the walls, and the Papal party were pursued by furious Romans, losing thirty members, whose bodies were abandoned in the flight, including the Abbot of Perugia, struck down under the eyes of the Pope.
His protector Ladislaus sent a squad of troops to quell the riots, and by January 1406 the Romans once again acknowledged Papal temporal authority, and Innocent VII felt able to return. (In March, Innocent VII made Ludovico a
marchese and
conte di
Fermo.) But Ladislas, not content with the former concessions, desired to extend his authority in Rome and the Papal States. To attain his end he aided the Ghibelline faction in Rome in their revolutionary attempts in 1405. But a squad of troops which King Ladislaus had sent to the aid of the
Colonna faction was still occupying the
Castle of Sant' Angelo, ostensibly protecting the
Vatican but making frequent sorties upon Rome and the neighbouring territory. Only after Ladislaus was
excommunicated did he yield to the demands of the Pope and withdraw his troops.
Shortly after his accession in 1404 Innocent VII took steps to keep his oath by proclaiming a council. These troubles furnished him with a pretext, of which he was not unwilling to avail himself, for postponing the meeting, which was being urged by
Charles VI of France (1380–1422), theologians at the
University of Paris, like
Pierre d'Ailly and
Jean Gerson, who were developing the theory that popes were subject to councils, and
Rupert III (1400–10), King of the Germans, as the only means of healing the Schism which had prevailed so long. Under the current circumstances, Innocent VII could not guarantee safe passage to Benedict XIII in the event he came to the council in Rome. His rival,
antipope Benedict XIII, made it appear that the only obstacle to the termination of the Western Schism was the unwillingness of Innocent VII. It is hardly necessary to say that he showed no favour to the proposal that he as well as Benedict XIII should resign in the interests of peace.
It is said that Innocent VII planned the restoration of the Roman University, but his death brought an end to such talk.
He died so suddenly at Rome, November 6, 1406, that there were rumors of foul play, which have been denied ever since: there is no evidence for the truth of the allegation that his death was not due to natural causes. His successor was
Pope Gregory XII (1406–15).
