Editing Pope Clement VII (section)

====Assassination plot of 1522====
In 1522, rumors began to swirl that Cardinal Giulio—lacking legitimate successors to rule Florence—planned to abdicate rule of the city and "leave the government freely in the people".<ref name="oll.libertyfund.org"/> When it became clear that these rumors were untrue, a faction of mostly elite Florentines hatched a plot to assassinate him and then install their own government under his "great adversary", Cardinal [[Francesco Soderini]].<ref name="webdept.fiu.edu">{{Cite web|url=https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios1503.htm#Soderini |first=Salvador |last=Miranda |work = The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church: Biographical Dictionary |title=SODERINI, Francesco (1453-1524)}}</ref><ref name="oll.libertyfund.org"/> Soderini encouraged the plot, exhorting both Adrian and [[Francis I of France]] to strike against Giulio and invade his allies in Sicily. This did not happen. Instead of breaking with Giulio, Adrian had Cardinal Soderini imprisoned.<ref name="webdept.fiu.edu"/> Afterward, the principal conspirators were "declared rebels", and some were "apprehended and beheaded; by which means Giulio was again secured [as leader of Florence]."<ref name="oll.libertyfund.org"/>