Sede Vacante 1378

Old St. Peter's, 1520's, before the demolition of the Nave and Atrium
Old Campanile still in place, at right.

Louis Gayet, Le grand schisme d'Occident Les Origines volume 1 (Paris-Florence-Berlin 1889), "Pièces justificatives", 14-15:

Dominus Johannis de Paparonibus canonicus Sancti Petri sextus in ordine presbiterorum juravit et deposuit in sua conscientia ista quae secuntur.

1. Primo quod iste fuit familiaris Cardinalis Majoris Monasterii [Geraldus de Podio (Gérard du Puy), OSBClun.], et eo tempore quo se cardinales disponebant ad intrandum conclave, iste presumebat ex aliquibus conjecturis quod iste D. Barensis crearetur in papam, quia vidit semel quod D. Vivariensis [Pierre de Sortenac] cum iret ad ecclesiam S. Spiritus ibat ille Barensis cum eo, et vidit quod cardinalis cum intravit predictam ecclesiam quod amivit capellum versus illum in reverendo sibi, de quo fuit iste nimis miratus. Sed post, ille cardinalis Majoris Monasterii misit istum Joannem ad cardinalem S. Eustachii [Pierre Flandrin] et significabat sibi quod non esset conveniens quod de mane clauderentur portae ecclesiae S. Petri, et iste non invenit illum cardinalem, sed cogitabat intra se quod dictus cardinalis S. Eustachii fieret papa. Et hoc fuit die qua intraverunt conclave. Et ingressu conclavis erant gentes [15] quam plures in platea S. Petri et prope palatium, et aliquae erant armatae in magna quantitate et dicebant quod romanum volebant vel ad minus italicum.

2. Et sequenti die de mane iste ivit ad ecclesiam S. Petri et vidit multas gentes armatas in platea S. Petri et prope palatium, et clamabant de romano, at aliqui dicebant vel ad minus italicum, et erat populus commotus in illo clamore.

3. Post ista vidit quod venerunt duo romani ad canonicos S. Petri, cum quibus iste venit, dicentes se venire de parte Bandarensium, et petierunt ab illis quod darent seu traderent sibi claves portarum campanilis, quia volebant pulsare campanam ad martellum, nam cardinales nolebant dare populo romano papam romanorum seu italicum. Et iste et alii canonici responderunt sibi quod non traderent sibi claves. Tunc illi seponentes se ab illis canonicis fregerunt portas campanilis et sonaverunt campanam ad martellum. Et hoc fuit quasi hora missarum prime. Sed postea venerunt Bandarenses aliqui. Increpaverunt illos quod sic pulsarent campanam. Et dixit quod populus petebat romanum, et, quia cardinales elegerunt italicum, timebant populum et ex illa causa nominarunt cardinalem S. Petri [Francesco Todeschini]. Et aliqui retraxerunt se ad Castrum, et alii extra Urbem, dubitantes populum. Et timebant populum quia elegerant predictum archiepiscopum Barensis.

4. Item, dixit quod romani fregerunt conclave post factam electionem cardinal . . .[? cardinalis S. Petri]. Et hoc fecerunt ex gaudio desiderantes videre papam.

5. Sed postea intronizaverunt eum, cardinales et obedierunt sibi ut pape, et iste ivit cum aliis canonicis S. Petri ad impendendum sibi. Et tunc dixit contra istum et contra alios canonicos verba aspera, quod nisi se castigaretn quod ipse corriperet eos de quo fuit iste valde meritatus: Item tenet iste sic verus papa. Sed illa omnia scit et vidit.

Canon Johannis de Paparonibus made the following points in his deposition:

• He was in the entourage of Cardinal de Podio, and at the time that the Cardinals were preparing to enter conclave, he surmised from various indications that the Archbishop of Bari (Bartolomeo Prignano) was going to be elected pope. He once saw that when Cardinal de Sortenac was going to the Church of Santo Spirito [in Sasso] Bari was accompanying him, and he saw that when the Cardinal entered the church he moved aside his cape in reverence to him, at which the Canon marvelled greatly.
• Later, Cardinal de Podio sent the Canon to Cardinal Flandrin, and indicated to him that it was not convenient that the doors of the Church of St. Peter be closed from the morning on, and he did not find the Cardinal. But he thought that Cardinal Flandrin would become pope, and this was the day on which they entered conclave.
• At the entry into conclave there were a large number of people in the Piazza San Pietro and next to the Apostolic Palace, and some were armed in great quantity, and they were saying that they wanted a Roman or at least an Italian.
• On the following day, in the morning, the Canon came to St. Peter's and saw many armed men in the Piazza and next to the Apostolic Palace, and they were crying for a Roman, and some were saying "or at least an Italian". The people were stirred up with the uproar.
• After that, he saw that two Romans had come to the Canons of St. Peter's. Canon John came with the other canons. The two Romans said that they had come on instructions of the Bandarenses, and they asked the Canons to give or hand over the keys to the doors of the Campanile, because they wanted to ring the bell, for the Cardinals did not want to give the Roman People a Roman pope or an Italian one. He and the other canons replied that they would not hand over the keys. Then they withdrew from the Canons and broke open the doors of the Campanile and sounded the bell. This was about the time of the first Mass.
• Afterwards, the Bandarenses came. Some criticized them because they had sounded the bell. The Canon said that the people were seeking a Roman, and because the cardinals elected an Italian they were in fear of the people, and so for that reason they named the Cardinal of St. Peter's, Francesco Todeschini.
• Some Cardinals withdrew to the Castel S. Angelo. Others left the City. They were afraid of the people because they had elected the Archbishop of Bari.
• The Canon said that the Romans broke into the Conclave after the election of Cardinal ......(?) This they did out of joy, desiring to see the Pope.
• But later the Cardinals enthroned the Archbishop of Bari, and they obeyed him as though he were pope. The Canon went with the other Canons of St. Peter's to congratulate the new pope. The Pope then spoke harsh words against him and the other Canons. The Canon considers Bari to be the true pope.