1691 conclave

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The 1691 papal conclave began on 12 February 1691, after the death of Pope Alexander VIII, and ended with the election of Cardinal Antonio Pignatelli as Pope Innocent XII on 12 July 1691. The process lasted more than five months, the longest conclave since 1305. It started with 70 cardinals, but only 38 were present at first, rising to 44 by 19 February and 61 by the time of the election.

The main goal initially was to elect Gregorio Barbarigo, a moral and busy reformer, but he faced strong opposition. Emperor Leopold I did not want a Venetian pope, and the Spanish ambassador and Louis XIV also opposed him for political reasons. The zelanti faction, led by Leandro Colloredo and backed by Flavio Chigi, supported Barbarigo, hoping he would end nepotism. Rumors spread that Leopold would actively exclude Barbarigo, and a private letter from Leopold suggested he preferred the Spanish to block Barbarigo, though he did not want to take the blame. Some cardinals worried that Barbarigo would be as strict as the late Pope Innocent XI.

With no clear candidate, the conclave drifted. There were even votes cast for non-cardinals for the first time since 1503, and a lamp accident caused a small fire in the cardinals’ living quarters. Federico Altieri also campaigned to become pope, portraying himself as aligned with both Leopold and Louis XIV, but he lacked enough support, especially from the zelanti.

By late June, the heat in the conclave began to take a toll on the cardinals, and illness helped shift opinion. Altieri’s position weakened, and Antonio Pignatelli gained enough support, including from some French cardinals who agreed to vote for him, despite his Naples origin under Spanish influence. On 12 July 1691, Pignatelli was elected pope and took the name Innocent XII. The conclave ended as the longest papal election in more than three centuries.

Context for the conclave included ongoing tensions over Gallicanism and the treatment of French bishops after the 1689 election of Alexander VIII, who had condemned the Declaration of the Clergy of France earlier in 1691. Innocent XI, by contrast, was known for austerity and opposing nepotism. Innocent XII would later work to reform abuses and nepotism in the papacy.