Sede Vacante 1378
Letter of Petrus Gaudelini,
Castellan of the Castel S. Angelo, to the College of Cardinals
April 20, 1378
Castel S. Angelo and Bridge, from the Borgo
Santo Spirito in Sasso in foregoround at left
Stephanus Baluzius [Étienne Baluze], Vitae Paparum Avinionensium Volume 2 (Paris: apud Franciscum Muguet 1693), columns 813-815:
Reverendissimi Patres et metuendissimi Domini mei, humillima recommendatione praemissa.
Vestris paternitatibus non dubito fore notum qualiter quatuor annis vel circa castrum sancti Angeli in alma urbe situatum pro sancta Romana Eclcesia cum onmi diligentia conservasse. Et quia casus emersit in arduis propter uramenti ligamen quod infra audietis, cogor ad paternitates vestras recurrere pro consilio et auxilio agendorum. Est verum, Reverendissimi Domini, quod sanctae memoriae Domino Gregorio XI. summo Pontifice appropinquante ad mortem, misit pro me servitore vestro, et post multa recitata quae sentiebat propter ejus infirmitatem et mortis casum futurum in Ro(mano) po(pulo?) ordinari voluit, et mihi expresse mandavit quod castrum praedictum nunquam restituerem homini viventi sine assensu et expresso consensu paternitatum vestrarum, et causam mihi expressit sic dicento, "Castellane, ego sentio quod Romani sperantes me non posse evadere, jam imaginantur velle facere ad eorum votum summum Pontificem; qui si per violentiam fiat, summus Pontifex non erit. Et ideo nolo reddi castrum sine consensu Cardinalium qui remanserunt in Avinione." Et ita me jurare voluit observaturum sub poenis perjurii et proditionis in manibus sanctitatis praefatae.
Sicque ejus clauso extremo, Romani claves omnium pontarum urbis et portium acceperunt, et custodes ad omnes exitus posuerunt, et post multa consilia habita et varios tractatus habitos cum Dominis Cardinalibus promissum fuit quod ipsi libere juxta canones eligere possent summum pastorem. Die itaque quo intraturi erant conclave Reverendissimi Domini Domini Cardinales, cum maxima parte populi coadunati inceperunt clamare, "Italicum volumus sine fallo," et fere ostia dicti conclavis clausa erant quando hominum multitudo armata clamare incepit comminando, "Romanum vel Italicum volumus sine fallo." Et cum talibus clamoribus perdurarunt usque mane. Quo veniente, fregerunt domos conclavis violenter, ubi erant Domini Cardinales, et clamabant, "Romanum volumus vel saltem Italicum." Et quidam ex Dominis fuerunt tracti et pessime pertractati, et quidam fugerunt. Quae omnia vidi et audivi relatu sex Dominorum Cardinalium qui mortis timore ad castrum praefatum fugerunt. Ob quorum causam isti qui Urbanum VI. se facit nominari propter juramentum suprascriptum castrum restituere nolui, neque volo sine vestro speciali assensu, ut meum honorem servare valeam illibatum. Quare, pro Deo, quid intentionis vestrae est me velle agere in praedictis per latorem praesentium sub authenticis litteris rescribatis et me clarum reddatis de agendis. Alias meo servato honore, reputo per hanc scripturam fore factum, castrum restituam supradictum, etc.
Subscriptio: Reverendissimis Dominis Tusculanensi [Aegidius (Gilles) Aycelin de Montaigu], Sabinensi [Joannes de Blandiaco (Jean de Blauzac)], Albanensi [Anglicus Grimoaldi (Angelic de Grimoard)], Pampilonensi [Pierre de Monteruc], Mimatensi [Guillaume de Chanac, OSB], et Sancti Martialis [Hugues de Saint-Martial].
The witness, Pierre Rostaing, states the following:
- He had been Castellan of the Castel S. Angelo for about four years.
- Circumstances had involved him in a difficult situation, because of an oath he had taken.
- When Pope Gregory XI perceived his death approaching, he sent for the Castellan and ordered him that he should never turn over the Castel to any living person without the consent and express agreement of the Cardinals who were resident in Avignon. The Pope explained that he was aware that the Romans were hoping that he could not survive his illness, and that they were already imagining that they could get a pope according to their taste, and that if they did this through the use of violence then he would not be Pope.
- The Castellan did not intend to turn the Castel over without the consent of the Cardinals in Avignon. The Pope made him swear an oath to observe his instructions under pain of perjury and betrayal of His Holiness.
- When the Pope was dead, the Romans took the keys of all of the bridges and gates of the city, and put guards at all of the exits. They held many meetings and made various agreements with the Reverend Cardinals. It was promised that the Cardinals would be able to conduct their election freely according to canon law.
- On the day on which they were going to enter conclave, they were met by a very great part of the Roman people who began to cry, "We want an Italian without fail." They remained and continued their clamor until the next morning.
- When dawn came, they violently broke into the quarters of the Conclave, where the Lords Cardinals were, shouting, "We want a Roman or at least an Italian." Certain of the cardinals were dragged and manhandled, certain ones fled. The Castellan states he saw all these things and heard them by report. Six Cardinals who were in fear of death fled to the Castel S. Angelo. For that reason he did not want to turn over the Castel to the man nominated by urban VI, on account of his oath. He did not intend or want to do so without the special consent of the Cardinals to whom the letter is addressed.
In his Deposition for the ambassadors of the King of Aragon (§ 23), Pierre Gaudelin mentions the sending of this letter :
Eadem die [Tuesday, April 20, 1378] incontinenti ego mandavi unam litteram DD. cardinalibus existentibus in Avinione, quam litteram scripsit ductus episcopus Assisiensis, in qua littera continebatur quoniam fui requisitus per D. B. quod redderem castrum, que littera incipit: "Reverendissimi patres, etc." cujus copiam post paucos dies mandavi ad B. per Patriarchem Constantinopolitanum et Archiepiscopum Pisanum.
to Pietro Gaudelini, Castellan of the Castel S. Angelo
July 3, 1378
Stephanus Baluzius [Étienne Baluze], Vitae Paparum Avinionensium Volume 2 (Paris: apud Franciscum Muguet 1693), columns 814-815:
Miseratione divina Anglicus Albanensis Episcopus, et Petrus sanctae Anastasiae Presbyter Cardinalis, dilecto nobis in Christo nobili viro Petro Gaudelini de de Sancto Crispino Domicello Castellano castri sancti Angeli de urbe ad Romanum Ecclesiam pleno jure pertinentis salutem in Domino.
Noveritis quod nuper Reverendissimi in Christo Patres et Domini Nostri Aegidius Tusculanus, Iohannes Sabinensis Episcopi, ac Guillelmus tituli sancti Vitalis Presbyter, et Hugo sanctae Mariae in porticu Diaconus Cardinales, et nos una cum eisdem recepimus literas in effectu continentes quod sanctae memoriae Dominus noster Dominus Papa Gregorius XI. ipso adhuc in himanis agente, et jam appropinquante ad mortem vos ad ejus praesentiam vocaverit et certis ex causis ipsum ad infrascripta moventes voluit ut asseritis vobisque expresse mandavit et maxime sub certis poenis in hujusmodi vestris literis contentis, ad quas vinculo proprii jureamenti tunc per vos in ejus manibus praestiti vos astrinxit, quod si eundem Dominum nostrum Gregorium Papam XI. migrare contingeret ab hac luce, nullo tempore dictum castrum alicui personae restitueretis seu assignaretis nisi ad id omnium Reverendissimorum Patrum Dominorum S. R. E. Cardinalium tempore obitus sui in his partibus citramontanis existentium accederet assensus et demum eodem Domino nostro, sicut placuit de medio sublato, et sanctissimo in Christo Patre et Domino nostro Domino Urbano divina providentia Papa VI. ad apicem summi apostolatus assumpto, licet per eundem Dominum nostrum Urbanum et pro parte sua fueritis pluries debite requisitus ut sibi dictum castrum ad ipsum et Romanam Ecclesiam pleno jure pertinens, ut praefertur, restituere et assignare curaretis, ut decebat, vos nihilominus dictas excusationes praetendentes castrum hujusmodi recusatis sibi restituere et recusatis ad praesens donec vobis super hoc nostrum praebeamus assensum. Nos igitur Anglicus Episcopus et Petrus Presbyter Cardinales praefati, visis una cum aliis Reverendissimis Patribus Dominis Cardinalibus praedictis vestris literis hujusmodi, et habito invicem consilio super ipsis, vobis, quantum in nobis est, exprese mandamus et etiam hortamur attentius quatenus praemissis non obstantibus castrum hujusmodi praefato Domino nostro Urbano Papae VI. tanquam sacrosanctae Romanae ac universalis Ecclesiae summo Pontifici vel alteri ad ejus mandatum restituatis indialte, et etiam nostrum in hoc tenente praesentium praebentes assensum, credimus etiam quod alii Cardinales praefati vobis ita significarunt per suas litteras vel significabunt super praemissis eorum intentum.
In quorum testimonium presentes litteras fieri mandavimus, quas nostrorum sigillorum fecimus munimone roborari. Datum Avinione anno a nativitate Domini MCCCLXXVIII. Indictione prima, die tertia mensis Iulii, pontificatus Domini nostri Domini Urbani Papae VI. anno primo.
In reply to the Castellan's letter, the two Cardinals, writing on behalf of all six Cardinals at Avignon, rehearse all the matter in the Castellan's letter and then, having discussed the matter among themselves in council, order him to hand over the Castel S. Angelo to Pope Urban VI. or someone appointed by him without delay.
