Guy of Boulogne
Encyclopedia
Guy of Boulogne was a statesman and a churchman, serving the Avignon Papacy
for 33 years. He participated in the papal conclave
s of 1352
, 1362
and 1370
, and was the Subdean of the Sacred College of Cardinals. His diplomatic postings were extensive. American historian Kenneth Setton
called him "one of the commanding figures of his day, and the letters of Petrarch
abound with references to him".
Guy was the third son of Count Robert VII of Auvergne, and his family was well-connected to the greatest houses in France
and the Empire
. His sister Matilda married Count Amadeus III of Geneva
, making Guy uncle of four successive counts of Geneva and of antipope Clement VII
. The daughter, Joan, of Guy's eldest brother, Count William XII of Auvergne, married John, Duke of Normandy
, later King of France, who thus called Guy his "uncle[-in-law]". On 11 October 1340, Pope Benedict XII
approved Guy's election as Archbishop of Lyon, but he did hold it long, surrendering it to become cardinal-priest tituli S. Caeciliae, of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
, on 20 September 1342.
On 22 April 1346, Guy and Cardinal Elias Talleyrand witnessed the pact between King John of Bohemia, his son, the future Emperor Charles IV, and Pope Clement VI
. In 1348–50, Guy travelled extensively in Hungary
and Lombardy
as Clement's legate
, his job being to negotiate peace between the former kingdom and the Kingdom of Naples
. The two kingdoms had been at war since the murder of the Hungarian prince Andrew, Duke of Calabria
, husband of the Neapolitan queen, Joan I
, in 1345. He had returned to Avignon
by 7 June 1350. Later that year he was made Cardinal-bishop of Porto and Santa Rufina
.
In 1351, Cola di Rienzi, from his prison in Prague
, wrote a letter to Guy requesting his assistance in obtaining his freedom and leading a crusade. On 6 April 1354 at Guînes
, he witnessed the signing by representatives of France and England
of a preliminary accord for ending the Hundred Years' War
. Between 1359 and 1361 he was in Spain on another lengthy legation, and he took a leading role in negotiating peace between Charles V of France
and Charles II of Navarre
in 1366. In September 1362, after the death of Pope Innocent VI
, the College of Cardinals
was divided into two factions, one supporting Guy of Boulogne and the other Elias Talleyrand for pope. In the end a compromise candidate was elected Pope Urban V
.
Guy was papal legate in Italy during 1368–69, and was briefly joined by his nephew, the future Clement VII. The two witnessed an imperial diploma of Charles IV at Lucca
on 28 February 1369. In Lucca Guy established his headquarters while he served as "lieutenant [lit. place-holder] and general vicar" for the Empire "in the regions [lit. parts] of Italy", having been appointed "by our Caesarean [i.e., imperial] majesty" Charles IV.
On 21 December 1370, Guy gave a eulogy, prepared in a single day, at the funeral of Urban V in the church of Notre-Dame-des-Doms in Avignon. On 30 December, Cardinal Pierre Roger de Beaufort, a nephew
of Clement VI, was elected to succeed Urban. On 4 January, Guy ordained him a priest and on the next day crowned him Pope Gregory XI. In 1372–73 Guy undertook his final legation, his second to Spain, to try to make peace between Charles II of Navarre and Henry II of Castile. He died in Spain, at Lleida
on 25 November 1373. "There were those who said that he died of poison which was administered to him by the treachery [arte] of Charles [II], King of Navarre".
Avignon Papacy
The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven Popes resided in Avignon, in modern-day France. This arose from the conflict between the Papacy and the French crown....
for 33 years. He participated in the papal conclave
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...
s of 1352
Papal conclave, 1352
Papal conclave 1352 convened after the death of Pope Clement VI, elected as his successor cardinal Etienne Aubert, who under the name Innocent VI became fifth Pope of the period of Avignon Papacy...
, 1362
Papal conclave, 1362
The papal conclave, 1362 elected William Grimoard as Pope Urban V to succeed Pope Innocent VI in the Palais des Papes of Avignon, continuing the Avignon Papacy.-Balloting:...
and 1370
Papal conclave, 1370
Papal conclave 1370 held after the death of Pope Urban V, elected as his successor cardinal Pierre Roger de Beaufort, who under the name Gregory XI became seventh ant the last Pope of the period of Avignon Papacy....
, and was the Subdean of the Sacred College of Cardinals. His diplomatic postings were extensive. American historian Kenneth Setton
Kenneth Setton
Kenneth Meyer Setton was an American historian and an expert on the history of medieval Europe.- Early life, education and awards :...
called him "one of the commanding figures of his day, and the letters of Petrarch
Petrarch
Francesco Petrarca , known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar, poet and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch is often called the "Father of Humanism"...
abound with references to him".
Guy was the third son of Count Robert VII of Auvergne, and his family was well-connected to the greatest houses in France
France in the Middle Ages
France in the Middle Ages covers an area roughly corresponding to modern day France, from the death of Louis the Pious in 840 to the middle of the 15th century...
and the Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. His sister Matilda married Count Amadeus III of Geneva
Amadeus III of Geneva
Amadeus III was the Count of Geneva from 1320 until his death. He ruled the Genevois, but not the city of Geneva proper, and it was during his time that the term "Genevois" came to be used as it is today. He was the eldest son and successor of William III and Agnes, daughter of Amadeus V of Savoy...
, making Guy uncle of four successive counts of Geneva and of antipope Clement VII
Antipope Clement VII
Robert of Geneva was elected to the papacy as Pope Clement VII by the French cardinals who opposed Urban VI, and was the first Avignon antipope of the Western Schism.-Biography:...
. The daughter, Joan, of Guy's eldest brother, Count William XII of Auvergne, married John, Duke of Normandy
John II of France
John II , called John the Good , was the King of France from 1350 until his death. He was the second sovereign of the House of Valois and is perhaps best remembered as the king who was vanquished at the Battle of Poitiers and taken as a captive to England.The son of Philip VI and Joan the Lame,...
, later King of France, who thus called Guy his "uncle[-in-law]". On 11 October 1340, Pope Benedict XII
Pope Benedict XII
Pope Benedict XII , born Jacques Fournier, the third of the Avignon Popes, was Pope from 1334 to 1342.-Early life:...
approved Guy's election as Archbishop of Lyon, but he did hold it long, surrendering it to become cardinal-priest tituli S. Caeciliae, of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
Santa Cecilia in Trastevere is a 5th century church in Rome, Italy, devoted to Saint Cecilia, in the Trastevere rione.-History:The first church on this site was founded probably in the 3rd century, by Pope Urban I; it was devoted to the Roman martyr Cecilia, martyred it is said under Marcus...
, on 20 September 1342.
On 22 April 1346, Guy and Cardinal Elias Talleyrand witnessed the pact between King John of Bohemia, his son, the future Emperor Charles IV, and Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI
Pope Clement VI , bornPierre Roger, the fourth of the Avignon Popes, was pope from May 1342 until his death in December of 1352...
. In 1348–50, Guy travelled extensively in Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
and Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
as Clement's legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
, his job being to negotiate peace between the former kingdom and the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
. The two kingdoms had been at war since the murder of the Hungarian prince Andrew, Duke of Calabria
Andrew, Duke of Calabria
Andrew, Duke of Calabria was the second surviving son of Charles I of Hungary and Elizabeth of Poland...
, husband of the Neapolitan queen, Joan I
Joan I of Naples
Joan I , born Joanna of Anjou, was Queen of Naples from 1343 until her death. She was also Countess of Provence and Forcalquier, Queen consort of Majorca and titular Queen of Jerusalem and Sicily 1343–82, and Princess of Achaea 1373/5–81....
, in 1345. He had returned to Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
by 7 June 1350. Later that year he was made Cardinal-bishop of Porto and Santa Rufina
Roman Catholic Suburbicarian Diocese of Porto-Santa Rufina
The Diocese of Porto and Santa-Rufina is a suburbicarian see of the Holy Roman Church and a diocese of the Catholic Church in Italy...
.
In 1351, Cola di Rienzi, from his prison in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, wrote a letter to Guy requesting his assistance in obtaining his freedom and leading a crusade. On 6 April 1354 at Guînes
Guînes
Guînes is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:Guînes is located on the border of the two territories of the Boulonnais and Calaisis, at the edge of the now-drained marshes, which extend from here to the coast. The Guînes canal connects with...
, he witnessed the signing by representatives of France and England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
of a preliminary accord for ending the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
. Between 1359 and 1361 he was in Spain on another lengthy legation, and he took a leading role in negotiating peace between Charles V of France
Charles V of France
Charles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380 and a member of the House of Valois...
and Charles II of Navarre
Charles II of Navarre
Charles II , called "Charles the Bad", was King of Navarre 1349-1387 and Count of Évreux 1343-1387....
in 1366. In September 1362, after the death of Pope Innocent VI
Pope Innocent VI
Pope Innocent VI , born Étienne Aubert; his father was Adhemar Aubert seigneur de Montel-De-Gelas in Limousin province. His niece was Catherine Aubert, Dame de Boutheon, also the wife of Randon II baron de Joyeuse; she is La Fayette's ancestor...
, the College of Cardinals
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
was divided into two factions, one supporting Guy of Boulogne and the other Elias Talleyrand for pope. In the end a compromise candidate was elected Pope Urban V
Pope Urban V
Pope Urban V , born Guillaume Grimoard, was Pope from 1362 to 1370.-Biography:Grimoard was a native of Grizac in Languedoc . He became a Benedictine and a doctor in Canon Law, teaching at Montpellier and Avignon...
.
Guy was papal legate in Italy during 1368–69, and was briefly joined by his nephew, the future Clement VII. The two witnessed an imperial diploma of Charles IV at Lucca
Lucca
Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
on 28 February 1369. In Lucca Guy established his headquarters while he served as "lieutenant [lit. place-holder] and general vicar" for the Empire "in the regions [lit. parts] of Italy", having been appointed "by our Caesarean [i.e., imperial] majesty" Charles IV.
On 21 December 1370, Guy gave a eulogy, prepared in a single day, at the funeral of Urban V in the church of Notre-Dame-des-Doms in Avignon. On 30 December, Cardinal Pierre Roger de Beaufort, a nephew
Cardinal-nephew
A cardinal-nephew is a cardinal elevated by a Pope who is that cardinal's uncle, or, more generally, his relative. The practice of creating cardinal-nephews originated in the Middle Ages, and reached its apex during the 16th and 17th centuries. The word nepotism originally referred specifically to...
of Clement VI, was elected to succeed Urban. On 4 January, Guy ordained him a priest and on the next day crowned him Pope Gregory XI. In 1372–73 Guy undertook his final legation, his second to Spain, to try to make peace between Charles II of Navarre and Henry II of Castile. He died in Spain, at Lleida
Lleida
Lleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
on 25 November 1373. "There were those who said that he died of poison which was administered to him by the treachery [arte] of Charles [II], King of Navarre".