Editing Pope Martin IV (section)

==Election of Nicholas III==
Pope John XXI was in contact with Cardinal Simon.  He had written to him on 3 March 1277, ordering him to speak with the king of France about matters connected with Alfonso of Castile.<ref>''Registre de Jean XXI'' (ed. Cadier, 1892), no. 164, p. 55.</ref> But the Pope died rather suddenly, after a reign of only eight months. He was still living in the Episcopal Palace in Viterbo, where Adrian V (Fieschi) had died and where he had been elected. The palace was still under construction, when suddenly the roof of one of the chambers collapsed.  The Pope was in the room at the time, and he was severely injured.  He died three (or six) days later, on 20 May 1277.  Cardinal Simon de Brion was still in France when the Conclave began, but he was unable to predict that the Conclave would last until 25 November, and therefore he was not present.  There were only seven cardinals in Viterbo, since neither Innocent V, nor Adrian V, nor John XXI had named any new cardinals.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/SV1277.html| title = Sede Vacante and Conclave of 1277 (Dr. J.P. Adams).}}</ref> They argued on and on, trying to choose a pope.<ref>F. Gregorovius, ''History of Rome in the Middle Ages'', Volume V.2 second edition, revised (London: George Bell, 1906) pp. 477–479.</ref> There were three cardinals who favored the Angevin Charles I and his designs.  There were three who opposed him.  Cardinal Bertrand de Saint Martin, Bishop of Sabina, the only surviving Cardinal Bishop, held a middle course, or perhaps one should say he saw too clearly to be willing to commit to either party.<ref>''[[Annales Placentini Ghibellini]]'', in ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Scriptores'' Volume XVIII, p. 569.</ref> Finally, they chose Cardinal Giovanni Gaetani (Orsini), a native Roman, the Deacon of S. Nicola in Carcere and senior Deacon, and Archpriest of the Vatican Basilica.

Nicholas III immediately set out for Rome, where he was ordained a priest on 18 December 1277, and consecrated Bishop of Rome on 19 December.  He was crowned on the Feast of S. Stephen, 26 December 1277 at the Vatican Basilica.  One person, at least, was deeply unhappy about the outcome of this Conclave, King Charles I of Sicily.<ref>Friedrich Baethgen, "Eine Pamphlet Karls I. von Anjou zur Wahl Papst Nikolaus III.," ''Sitzungsberichte der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Phil-historische Klasse'' no. 7 (Munich 1960)</ref> The new Orsini pope was an enemy of the Angevins, and Charles knew he would have nothing but trouble from Nicholas III.

A week after the election of Nicholas III, the new pope wrote to Simon, who was still Legate in France, urging him to effect a reconciliation between the King of France, Philip III, and the King of Leon and Castile, Alfonso the Wise.<ref>Otto Posse, ''Analecta Vaticana'' (Oeniponti: Libraria Academica Wagneriana 1878) #898.</ref> Since the King of Aragon, Peter III (who was married to Constance of Sicily) was involved in the struggle over Sicily with Charles I, this peace initiative threatened King Charles directly.  On 22 April 1279, Pope Nicholas wrote to Cardinal Simon about King Philip.  The Pope had issued a prohibition on tournaments, and King Philip and his barons were flagrantly violating the prohibition. Cardinal Simon was ordered to excommunicate the King of France.<ref>Augustinus Theiner (Editor), ''Caesaris S. R. E. Cardinalis Baronii, Od. Raynaldi et Jac. Laderchii Annales Ecclesiastici'' Tomus Vigesimus Secundus 1257–1285 (Barri-Ducis: Ludovicus Guerin 1870), under the year 1279, § 17, p. 454.  August Potthast, ''Regesta Pontificum Romanorum'' II (Berlin 1875), p. 1742, no. 21567.</ref>

To ensure that his victory against the Angevins would stand, Nicholas III decided to go forward with a much needed addition to the Sacred College of Cardinals. At his first opportunity, on 12 March 1278, he created ten cardinals. Five cardinal bishops were named: Latino Frangipani Malabranca, OP, of Rome (Nicholas III's nephew by his sister Mabilia); Erhard de Lessines (Lesigny), of Langres, son of Guillaume, Marshal of Champagne; Bentivenga de Bentivengis, O.Min., of Aquasparta; Robert Kilwardby, OP, Archbishop of Canterbury; and Ordoño (Ordeonio) Álvarez, Bishop of Braga.  Two cardinal-priests were named: Gerardo Bianchi of Parma, and Girolamo Masci d' Ascoli, O.Min., of Picenum.  He also appointed three cardinal-deacons: Giordano Orsini, brother of Pope Nicholas III, of Rome; Giacomo Colonna of Rome; and Gerardo Cupalates, O.Min., of Piacenza.<ref>Conrad Eubel, ''Hierarchia catholica medii aevi'' I editio altera (Monasterii 1913), pp. 9–10.</ref> The effect of these creations was to seriously dilute the Angevin influence in the Sacred College, and to considerably increase the monastic element, especially the Franciscan one. It needs to be recalled that Nicholas III was the Governor, Corrector, and Protector of the Franciscans.  The Roman influence was also strengthened. The inevitable consequence would be that the next pope too would not be a creature of Charles I of Sicily.

Eventually, though, by 19 October 1279, Pope Nicholas recalled Cardinal Simon de Brion.<ref>H. Denifle, ''Chartularium Universitatis Parisiensis'' I (Paris 1889), p. 578.  Lorenzo Cardella, ''Memorie storiche de' Cardinali della Santa Romana chiesa'' I. 2 (Roma 1792), p. 304</ref>