A roofless palace in Italy's Viterbo hosted the first and longest conclave

VITERBO, Italy (AP) — It was the mounting rage of citizens in Viterbo, a small town north of Rome, that put an end to the longest papal election in the history of the Catholic Church, forging for the first time the word “conclave.”

The Viterbo conclave in the 13th century was a pivotal event in papal elections, lasting almost three years – exactly 1,006 days – due to deep divisions among the cardinals over the name of the new pope.

Viterbo is also considered the birthplace of modern conclaves, where cardinals are confined to a single place until they elect a new pontiff, and often need to negotiate before reaching a compromise on the final name.

In November 1268, the cardinals — summoned in Viterbo to elect the successor of the late Pope Clement IV — were split mainly between two factions and couldn’t reach a consensus before September 1271.

As the cardinals continued to deliberate in Viterbo, frustration rose among locals due to the lack of progress, as political and internal struggles had cast a shadow over the election.

Those divisions stemmed from the cardinals’ allegiance to competing parties, mainly supporters of the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire. That was further complicated by personal and family ties, making any agreement on the pope's election extremely difficult.

The electing marathon led citizens ,who at the time had to pay for the cardinals’ room and board expenses, to resort to drastic measures.

The cardinals were first locked in Viterbo’s papal palace with a key, giving birth to the term conclave, which comes from the Latin words “cum” (with) and “clavem” (key).

“The cardinals left us a very important testimony, a parchment, dated June 8, 1270, where they said to be locked inside a palazzo discoperto, a palace with no roof,” said Elena Cangiano, an archaeologist at Viterbo’s medieval Palazzo dei Papi (Palace of the Popes).

Cangiano noted that, according to Viterbo oral tradition, the cardinals ended up camping inside the unroofed palace.

“That’s reportedly testified by some holes found on the hall’s floor, which could be those left by the tents’ poles,” she explained.

Then Viterbese also restricted the cardinals’ meals to bread and water to make them hurry up. As that didn’t work either, they started tearing off part of the roof of the large room that hosted the college of cardinals, exposing them to the elements.

Those extreme conditions only lasted three weeks, following which the cardinals were allowed access to the other rooms of the palace, but not to leave the building. It would take another 15 months before Gregory X was chosen as the new pope.

That was the longest papal election ever: To avoid the same situation ever occurring again, Gregory X promulgated a new apostolic constitution — called “Ubi Periculum” — that imposed strict regulations on the election and allowed to isolate the cardinals.

Gregory’s election was also seen as a “compromise,” with his name chosen to unite the divided college of cardinals and bring an end to the exhausting process.

That’s why the Viterbo conclave is seen by historians as setting the stage for future papal elections. The rules and practices established at the time laid the foundation for many of the procedures used currently in papal conclaves.

Among the new rules, Gregorio X decreed that cardinals were restricted to “one meal per day,” and later, to bread, water and wine, to further encourage a quick decision. The newly elected Adrian V, however, suspended those rules a few years later.

Fabrizio Cardoni, 61, born and raised in Viterbo, considers the city’s primacy a matter of pride.

”This is the history of our city,” he said. “So, we care a lot about our medieval neighborhood, we care about the pope palace that is truly wonderful and, let’s say, almost unique.”

Cristina Giusio, a tourist visiting from northern Italy, was struck by the history of the Viterbo conclave after a tour of the papal palace. “It was something quite amazing. ... I did not know that first conclave started here, so it was a real surprise,” she said.

Vatican history experts stress that modern conclaves still owe to Viterbo some of their key characteristics, including shorter durations.

Viterbo's legacy could again play a role again in the conclave that starts on Wednesday in Rome’s Sistine Chapel to choose Pope Francis’ successor.

“Let’s say that the timing is now almost certainly respected, also thanks to all that happened in Viterbo,” said Cangiano. “In recent times, usually, it doesn’t take that long to elect the pope.”

Associated Press video journalist Isaia Montelione contributed to this report.

An image of the cardinals who voted in the longest conclave in the Catholic Church's history, is carved on the bronze door of St. Lorenzo Cathedral, in Viterbo, Italy, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino )

An image of Pope Gregory X who was elected after the longest conclave in the Catholic Church's history, is exhibited in the Palace of the Popes in Viterbo, Italy, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino )

A view of St. Lorenzo square taken from the "Loggia dei Papi" of the Palace of the Popes that hosted the longest conclave in the Catholic Church's history, in Viterbo, Italy, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino )

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Guineans are voting Sunday to elect a new president in the country’s first election since a 2021 coup, as analysts say a weakened opposition will result in a likely win for junta leader Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya.

Sunday’s election is the culmination of a transition process that began four years ago after Doumbouya ousted President Alpha Condé. The junta leader has proceeded to clamp down on the main opposition and dissent, critics say, leaving him with no major opposition among the eight other candidates in the race.

Despite Guinea’s rich mineral resources — including as the world’s biggest exporter of bauxite, used to make aluminum — more than half of its 15 million people are experiencing record levels of poverty and food insecurity, according to the World Food Program.

“This vote is the hope of young people, especially for us unemployed," said Idrissa Camara, an 18-year-old resident of Conakry, who said he has been unemployed since graduating from university five years ago. "I’m forced to do odd jobs to survive. I hope this vote will improve the standard of living and the quality of life in Guinea," he added.

The election is being held under a new constitution that revoked a ban on military leaders running for office and extended the presidential mandate from five to seven years. That constitution was overwhelmingly approved in a September referendum despite opposition parties asking voters to boycott it.

The vote is the latest such election among African countries that have seen a surge in coups in recent years. At least 10 countries in the young continent have experienced soldiers forcefully taking power after accusing elected leaders of failing to provide good governance and security for citizens.

“This election will open a new page in Guinea’s history and mark the country’s return to the league of nations,” said Guinea political analyst Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité. “Doumbouya is undoubtedly the favorite in this presidential election because the main opposition political parties have been sidelined and the General Directorate of Elections, the body that oversees the presidential election, is under the supervision of the government,” he added.

In addition to a weakened opposition, activists and rights groups say Guinea has since the coup seen civil society leaders silenced, critics abducted and the press censored. More than 50 political parties were dissolved last year in a move authorities claimed was to “clean up the political chessboard” despite widespread criticism.

There was heavy security in Conakry and other parts of Guinea with nearly 12,000 police officers among security forces mobilized and checkpoints set up along major roads. Authorities had said on Saturday that security forces “neutralized” an armed group with “subversive intentions threatening national security” after gunshots were heard in Conakry’s Sonfonia neighborhood.

Across polling stations, long queues of mostly young voters waited to cast their ballot while police officers closely monitored the process.

A total of nine candidates are contesting the election, and Doumbouya’s closest challenger is the little-known Yero Baldé of the Democratic Front of Guinea party, who was education minister under Condé.

Two opposition candidates, former Prime Minister Lansana Kouyaté and former government minister Ousmane Kaba, were excluded on technical grounds while longtime opposition leaders Cellou Dalein Diallo and Sidya Toure have been forced into exile.

While Baldé has hinged his campaign on promises of governance reforms, anti-corruption efforts and economic growth, Doumbouya has built his around major infrastructure projects and reforms launched since taking power four years ago.

The junta’s most important project has been the Simandou iron ore project, a 75% Chinese-owned mega-mining project at the world’s largest iron ore deposit which began production last month after decades of delays.

Authorities say that a national development plan tied to the Simandou project aims to create tens of thousands of jobs and diversify the economy through investments in agriculture, education, transport, technology and health.

“In four years, he (Doumbouya) has connected Guinean youth to information and communication technologies,” said Mamadama Touré, a high school student wearing a T-shirt with Doumbouya’s image in the capital of Conakry, as he cited digital skills training programs put in place by the authorities.

About 6.7 million registered voters are expected to cast ballots at roughly 24,000 polling stations nationwide, with results expected within 48 hours. There will be a runoff if no candidate wins a majority of the votes.

In Conakry, 22-year-old student Issatou Bah said he is still undecided about whether to vote in the election.

“This is the third time I’ve voted in Guinea, hoping things will change. But nothing has changed,” said Bah, adding that he hopes the election will improve "this country that has everything but struggles to take off.”

FILE - Guinea's junta leader Col. Mamady Doumbouya watches over an independence day military parade in Bamako, Mali on Sept. 22, 2022. (AP Photo, File)