GREGORY
800
GREGORY
Like the preceding popes of Avignon, Gregory XI
made the fatal mistake of appointing Frenchmen, who
did not understand the Itahans and whom the Ital-
ians hated, as legates and governors of the ecclesias-
tical provinces in Italy. The Florentines, moreover,
feared that a strengthening of the papal power in Italy
would impair their own prestige in Central Italy and
allied themselves with Bernabo in July, 1375. Both
Bernabo and the Florentines tliil their utmost to stir
up an insurrection in the pontifical territory among
all those that were dissatisfied with the papal legates
in Italy. They w-ere so successful that within a short
time the entire Patrimony of St. Peter was up in arms
against the pope. Highly incensed at the seditious
proceedings of the Florentines, Gregory XI imposed
an extremely severe punishment upon them. He put
Florence under interdict, excommunicated its inhabit-
ants, and outlawed them and their possessions. The
financial loss which the Florentines sustained thereby
was inestimable. They sent St. Catherine of Siena to
intercede for them with Gregory XI, but frustrated
her efforts by continuing their hostilities against the
pope. In the midst of these disturbances Gregory XI,
yielding to the urgent prayers of St. Catherine, decided
to remove the papal see to Rome, despite the protests
of the French King and the majority of the cardinals.
He left Avignon on 13 September, 1376, boarded the
ship at Marseilles on 2 October, and came Ijy way of
Genoa to Corneto on 6 December. Here he remained
until arrangements were made in Rome concerning its
future government. On 13 January, 1377, he left
Corneto, landed at Ostia on the following day, and
sailed up the Tiber to the monastery of San Paolo,
from where he solemnly made his entrance into Rome
on 17 January. But his return to Rome did not put
an end to the hostilities. The notorious massacre of
Cesena, which was ordered by Cardinal Robert of
Geneva (afterwards Antipope Clement VII), embit-
tered the Italians still more against the pope. The
continuous riots in Rome induced Gregory Xl to re-
move to Anagni towards the end of May, 1377. He
gradually quelled the commotion and returned to
Rome on 7 Nov., 1377, where he died while a congress
of peace was in process at Sarzano. Gregory XI was
the last pope of French nationality. He was learned
and pious, though not free from nepotism. In 1374
he approved the Order of the Spanish Hermits of St.
Jerome, and on 22 May, 1377, he issued five Bulls in
which the errors of Wyclif were condemned. He was
so disgusted with the conditions at Rome that only
death prevented him from retm-ning to Avignon. The
Great Schism began after his death.
Baluze, Vilae Paparum Avenion. (Paris, 1693), 452-486, 1059-1234; Gherardi, La guerra dei Fiorentini con Papa GregoHo XI, delta la guerra degli Olio Sanli (Florence, 1868); ScHOLZ, Die Riickkehr Gregors XI. von Avignon nach Rom. (Hirschberg, 1S84); Kirsch, Die Riickkehr der Papsle Urban V. und GregorXI. (P.aderborn, 1898); Pastor, Gesch. der Papsle Beit dem Ausgang des Miltelallers, 4th ed. (Freiburg, 1901), 101-114,tr.,ANTROBns (London, 1891), I, 100-116; Tomaseth, Die Register iind Secrelare Urbans V. und Gregors XI. mMiltheil- vngen des Insliluts oeslerr. Gesehichtsjorsch. (1898), XIX, 417- 470; Drane, The Ili-slory of St. Catherine of Siena, 3rd ed. (New York, 1899), passim.
Michael Ott.
