WI: Alborense Becomes Pope in 1513?

Stolengood

Banned
At the 1513 papal conclave, Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici was elected Pope (specifically, he became Pope Leo X) on the second ballot, conducted the morning after the first one.

However... a Cardinal by the name of Jaume Serra i Cau, also known (for some reason) as Alborense, was nearly elected on the first ballot, receiving thirteen votes -- according to one version, due to chance:

Twenty-five cardinals entered the conclave. The absence of the French element left practically only two contending parties—the young and the old. The former had secretly settled on Giovanni de' Medici; the second openly supported S. Giorgio, England's candidate. The Sacred College had been assembled almost a week before the first serious scrutiny took place. Many of the cardinals, wishing to temporise and conceal their real intentions, had voted for the man they considered least likely to have any supporters. As luck would have it, thirteen prelates had selected the same outsider, with the result that they all but elected Arborense (sic), the most worthless nonentity present. This narrow shave gave the Sacred College such a shock that its members determined to come to some agreement which would put matters on a more satisfactory basis for both parties.

There were twenty-five cardinals there; had a few more cast their ballots for Alborense, he would have become Pope.

I can't find much about this man, save for him being Spanish and acting as a tutor to the son of Pope Alexander VI. If he had become Pope... what influence or effect might it have had... particularly on either the Reformation or the annulment of Henry VIII's marriage?

I leave it to you. :)
 
At the 1513 papal conclave, Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici was elected Pope (specifically, he became Pope Leo X) on the second ballot, conducted the morning after the first one.

However... a Cardinal by the name of Jaume Serra i Cau, also known (for some reason) as Alborense, was nearly elected on the first ballot, receiving thirteen votes -- according to one version, due to chance:



There were twenty-five cardinals there; had a few more cast their ballots for Alborense, he would have become Pope.

I can't find much about this man, save for him being Spanish and acting as a tutor to the son of Pope Alexander VI. If he had become Pope... what influence or effect might it have had... particularly on either the Reformation or the annulment of Henry VIII's marriage?

I leave it to you. :)

The Spanish Wikipedia article suggests Alborense died in early 1517. In that case, Medici is the overwhelming favorite to succeed him, and I don't think it makes a huge difference. Alborense would have been pro-Spanish, presumably, but Leo ended up being pretty pro-Spanish himself, so I'm not sure you change much in the various wars.
 

Stolengood

Banned
The Spanish Wikipedia article suggests Alborense died in early 1517. In that case, Medici is the overwhelming favorite to succeed him, and I don't think it makes a huge difference. Alborense would have been pro-Spanish, presumably, but Leo ended up being pretty pro-Spanish himself, so I'm not sure you change much in the various wars.
Hmmmm... fair enough. I can't find anything on the "S. Giorgio" mentioned above, though, either... any clue to that?
 
I think the medicis were going to be in very good situation vis a vis France and their power plays in Italy. It seems like Alborense was very much of the Borgia party of Papal politics but he might be wiser than Alexander. Rirario according to that article was an enemy of the Borgios so if Alborense gets in there might be charges brought against potential threats like Riario.

I wonder what policies Alborense would have on the Jews?
 
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