Papal conclave, April 1555
Coat of arms during the vacancy of the Holy See
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| Dates and location | |
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| 5–9 April 1555 Apostolic Palace, Papal States |
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| Key officials | |
| Dean | Giovanni Pietro Carafa |
| Camerlengo | Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora |
| Protopriest | Robert de Lenoncourt |
| Protodeacon | Francesco Pisani |
| Election | |
| Ballots | 1 |
| Elected Pope | |
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Marcello Cervini degli Spannochi (Name taken: Marcellus II) |
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Papal conclave of April 1555 (April 5 – April 9) was a papal conclave convoked after the death of Pope Julius III. Elected as his successor Cardinal Marcello Cervini, who took the name of Marcellus II, being the last pope who retained his baptismal name.
Pope Julius III died on March 23, 1555. Thirty-seven out of fifty-seven cardinals participated in the election of his successor:
Fifteen electors were created by Julius III, twenty by Pope Paul III, one by Pope Clement VII and one by Leo X.
Twenty cardinals were absent:
Thirteen were created by Paul III, four by Clement VII, two by Julius III and one by Leo X.
College of Cardinals was divided into three parties:
The Cardinals present in Rome entered the conclave on April 5. Initially, they prepared and subscribed the conclave capitulation, which obliged elect to maintain neutrality in the European conflicts and forbade him conducting wars against Christian princes. In spite of the existed divisions, cardinals quickly achieved consensus. On April 9 at 11 p.m. they elected by acclamation Cardinal Marcello Cervini. He was proposed by French faction, but obtained also the support of the Imperial cardinals (e.g. Madruzzo) despite the expressed wishes of Charles V against Cervini's election.
On April 10 in the morning a formal scrutiny took place to confirm the election. Cervini received all votes except of his own, which he gave to Gian Pietro Carafa. He retained his baptismal name, adding to it only an ordinal number (Marcellus II). On that same day, he was consecrated bishop of Rome by Cardinal Gian Pietro Carafa, bishop of Ostia e Velletri and Dean of the College of Cardinals, and crowned by Cardinal Francesco Pisani, Protodeacon of S. Marco.
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