Editing Pope Gregory XI (section)

==Papacy==
Immediately on his accession he attempted to reconcile the Kings of France and England, but failed. Gregory confirmed a [[Treaty of Villeneuve|treaty between Sicily and Naples]] at [[Villeneuve-lès-Avignon]] on 20 August 1372, which brought about a permanent settlement between the rival kingdoms, which were both papal fiefs.<ref>Hayez, Michel (2002). "Gregorio XI, papa". ''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani''. Vol. 59. Rome: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana.</ref> 

Gregory also tried to undertake a crusade due to pleas from [[Catherine of Siena]] in 1376<ref name=":12">Villegas, D., 2021. Catherine of Siena's spirituality of political engagement. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 77(2).</ref> by continuing Pope Urban V's call for Christians to stop fighting other Christians, which Urban called for in November 1366.<ref>Clarke, Peter D. "BETWEEN AVIGNON AND ROME: MINOR PENITENTIARIES AT THE PAPAL CURIA IN THE THIRTEENTH AND FOURTEENTH CENTURIES", Rivista Di Storia Della Chiesa in Italia, vol. 63, no. 2, 2009, pp. 455–510</ref> Efforts were also made to reform corrupt practices in the various monastic orders, such as collecting fees from persons visiting holy sites and the exhibiting of faux relics of saints.<ref name=":12"/>

Like the preceding popes of Avignon, Gregory XI made the mistake of appointing Frenchmen, who did not understand the Italians and whom the Italians hated, as legates and governors of the ecclesiastical provinces in Italy. Italian city states opposed the move of the papacy back to Rome and specifically Florence opposed to the move due to Gregory wanting to expand the Papal states upon the papal return to Rome.<ref name=":2">Peterson, David S. 2002. "The War of the Eight Saints in Florentine Memory and Oblivion." In Society and Individual in Renaissance Florence, Ed. William J. Connell.</ref> Before moving to Rome, however, he had to give his entire attention to the turbulent affairs of Italy. Duke [[Bernabo Visconti]] of Milan, had, in 1371, made himself master of Reggio and other places that were feudatory to the Holy See. Gregory XI excommunicated him and later declared war on him in 1372 against a Florentine led coalition of Italian city states, which later became known as the [[War of the Eight Saints]] (1375–1378). After war broke out, Gregory excommunicated the city and placed the city under interdict on 31 March 1376{{Sfn|Williman|Corsano|2002|pp=427–481}} in an attempt to quell the rebellion. Catherine of Siena tried to convince Gregory to stop the war on behalf of the Florentine state.<ref name="Ott 1909"/> This proved to be futile as the war did not end until after Gregory's death. The war ended with a peace treaty concluded at [[Tivoli, Lazio|Tivoli]] in July 1378, negotiated with [[Pope Urban VI]] following the death of Gregory XI.<ref name=":2" />