Papal conclave, 1592

Coat of arms during the vacancy of the Holy See
Dates and location
10–30 January 1592 Apostolic Palace, Papal States
Key officials
Dean	Alfonso Gesualdo
Sub-Dean	Innico d'Avalos d'Aragona
Camerlengo	Enrico Caetani
Protopriest	Markus Sitticus von Hohenems
Protodeacon	Andreas von Österreich
Election
Ballots	20
Elected Pope
Ippolito Aldobrandini (Name taken: Clement VIII)
← 1591 March–April 1605 →

The Papal conclave of January 10–30, 1592 was the papal conclave that elected Pope Clement VIII in succession to Pope Innocent IX.

Pope Innocent IX died on December 30, 1591 only two months into his pontificate. This created the fourth sede vacante in the one and half years since the death of Pope Sixtus V,. No similar situation had occurred since 1276–1277.

Fifty four out of the sixty four cardinals participated in this conclave:

Twenty three electors were created by Sixtus V, thirteen by Gregory XIII, seven by Pius IV, five by Gregory XIV, four by Pius V, one by Innocent IX and one by Pope Julius III.

Ten cardinals were absent:

Five of these were created by Gregory XIII, four by Sixtus V and one by Innocent IX.

The Sacred College of Cardinals was divided into several factions. The strongest of them was the Spanish faction with Madruzzo as unofficial leader. They supported the interests of king Philip II of Spain. Their candidate was Giulio Antonio Santori, head of the Roman Inquisition, called Cardinal S. Severina. His candidature was supported also by the "Sixtine" party, which included the old favourites and circle of Pope Sixtus V; their leader was Sixtus's cardinal-nephew, Alessandro Peretti de Montalto, Vice-Chancellor of the Church. Montalto supported Santori as a tactical manoeuvre and his real candidate was Aldobrandini. There was also a numerous group of cardinals that openly opposed Santori. Most of them were the old circles of Gregory XIII and Pius IV and their leaders were Sforza, Hohenems and Marcantonio Colonna.