Sede Vacante 1555
March 23, 1555—April 9, 1555
May 1, 1555—May 23, 1555
Documents concerning the Elections of 1555
- Julius III: Constitution banning brother cardinals (January 26, 1554 [Bullarium Romanum 6, 475-476].
- Instructions of Henri II to Ambassador Cardinal Georges d'Armagnac (April 28, 1554) [Ribier II, 517-518].
- Letter from Augusto Cocciano to the Archbishop of Salerno, Hieronymus Seripando (Rome, March 27, 1555) about the pratticà
- Letter from King Ferdinand to the Emperor Charles about cardinals and the Diet (Augsburg, March 30, 1555). [Druffel IV, no. 587]
- Letter of King Henri II to Cardinal d' Este, affirming royal support for his candidacy for pope (April 4, 1555) {Ribier II, 254-256]
- Letter of Dionigi Atanagi to Bishop Felice Tiranni of Urbino. Farnese has arrived; the Pope has a cold (April 20, 1555)
- Letter from Augusto Cocciano to the Archbishop of Salerno, Hieronymus Seripando (Rome, April 30, 1555), on the dying Pope Marcellus.
- Francesco Sforza Pallavicino, SJ, Istoria del Concilio di Trento Book XIII, chapter xi, 8-11 (ed. A. Zaccaria) Tomo III (Roma 1833), pp. 73-78.
- Letter of Cardinal Farnese to King Henri II, while Marcellus II was still alive, urging him to send the French Cardinals (last days of April, 1555).
- Letter of Cardinal Farnese to Cavaliere Tiburzio, his agent at the French Court (probably April 30, 1555).
- Letter of Atanagi to Tiranni, announcing the death of Marcellus II and the First Congregation of Cardinals. (May 1, 1555)
- Letter from Rome, May 4, 1555, with details of Ferrara's strategy to win the Papacy
- Letter of Ambassador d' Avanson to Henri II, with details of death of Marcellus II, and prediction of winner of future Conclave (May 4, 1555)
- Letter of Ambassador d' Avanson to Henri II, concerning the d'Este brothers and the Conclave politics (May 8, 1555).
- Letter of Ambassador d' Avanson to the Constable of France, with a proposal of the Cardinal of Fano for a League (May 10, 1555)
- Letter of Francesco Franchino, to the Duke of Parma, Ottavio Farnese, brother of Cardinal Farnese (Rome, May 11, 1555).
- Letter of Conte Ippolito Pagano, to the Duke of Parma (Rome, May 11, 1555).
- Letter of Cardinal Farnese to Cavaliere Tiburzio, on the politics of the pre-Conclave period (May 11, 1555).
- Letter of Averardo Serristori to Duke Cosimo I of Florence (excerpt) (May 13, 1555). [Coggiola, p. 220 n. 1]
- Avvisi from Rome sent to Msgr. Beccadelli in Parma by Agostino Fanti (May 15, 1555)
- Electoral Capitulations (May 1555).
- Avvisi included with a letter of Valerio Amanio to the Duke of Parma (May 17, 1555)
- Onofrio Camaiani to Averardo Serristori, with news of the first scrutiny and pratticà for Alvarez (May 18, 1555)
- Onofrio Camaiani to Averardo Serristori, with news of more pratticà for Carpi and Morone (May 19, 1555)
- Camaiani to Serristori, with news of more prattica for Carpii, Puteo, and Morone (May 21, 1555)
- Armagnac to Henri II, announcing the election of Paul IV (Carafa) (May 23, 1555).
- Bishop of Pola to the Duke of Parma, narrating the last day of the Conclave (May 23, 1555).
- Ambassador d'Avanson to the Constable, explaining the Election (May 25, 1555).
- Antonio Caracciolo, Vita di Paolo IV Liber IV, cap. 1 (excerpt): Meeting of Imperial Cardinals after the Conclave.
Guillaume Ribier (editor), Lettres et mémoires d' Estat des Roys, Princes, Ambassadeurs et autres Ministres , sous les Règnes de François premier, Henry II, et François II Tome second (Paris 1666).
G. Coggiola, "I Farnesi e il conclave di Paolo IV con documenti inediti," Studi Storici 9 (1900) 61-91, 203-227, 449-479.
