Papal conclave, 1669-1670

Coat of arms during the vacancy of the Holy See
Dates and location
20 December 1669 – 29 April 1670 Apostolic Palace, Papal States
Elected Pope
Emilio Bonaventura Altieri Name taken: Clement X
← 1667 1676 →

The papal conclave of 20 December 1669 to 29 April 1670 was convened on the death of Pope Clement IX and ended with the election of Emilio Altieri as Pope Clement X. The election saw deference within the College of Cardinals to Louis XIV of France, and a freeing of the cardinals loyal to Spain to vote according to their conscience. Eventually the elderly Altieri was elected with support of the major factions within the College.

Clement IX had primarily named Italian cardinals to the college, only appointing one French and one Spanish cardinal when he needed their assistance to fight back an invasion by the Ottoman Empire in Crete. He created his friends cardinals, with seven of the twelve that he created coming from his native Tuscany. Clement did not feel obligated to appoint a German cardinal because the Holy Roman Emperor had requested his assistance in Hungary. Within days of his death Clement IX had created seven additional cardinals, which brought the number of potential electors to its maximum number of seventy.

During his pontificate Clement strove diplomatically to bring Western European nations to defense of Crete. The Ottomans were planning to advance on the Venetian owned capital of the Island at Candia. He intervened in the War of Devolution and helped negotiate a peace, which increased the likelihood that Spain and France would both aid Crete. The French initially sent a small force to aid Crete in 1668, before increasing their troop commitment in 1669. This did affect the outcome of the Ottoman advance, and they captured Candia in September 1669.

Within the College of Cardinals a faction of cardinals that was not loyal to any of the Catholic monarchies had developed and were called the Squadrone Volante had risen during the conclave of 1655. The name, which translates as Flying Squadron, was given because of their support of candidates who they believed had the best interest of the papacy in mind rather than candidates supported by the secular monarch.Christina, Queen of Sweden, who had abdicated the Swedish throne and moved to Rome before converting to the Catholic Church, served as the secular supporter of the group, and became particularly close to Decio Azzolino.