Bartolomeo Prignano of Naples was pope from 1378 to 1389; his election began the Western Schism. In 1385 at Nocera he had six cardinals who wanted to place him under supervision thrown into a cistern and tortured; according to Lea, he read his breviary under the window of the torture chamber while the Cardinal of Venice was tortured. He had the Bishop of Aquila killed during his flight, and five cardinals were put to death at Genoa. To pay for his campaign against Naples he despoiled churches and altars, according to Pastor, and favoured his nephew.
Deaths
5(counted, cardinals, put to death in Genoa in 1386)Evidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451)
„the other five were never seen again“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1 (New York 1887/88). Original
1(counted, Bishop of Aquila, killed during the flight in 1385)Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 15 (1912)
„During the voyage the Bishop of Aquila, one of the conspirators, was executed“
On 11 January 1385 at Nocera he had six cardinals imprisoned, among them the Englishman Adam Easton; their possessions were confiscated. They were put into a narrow cistern, suffered hunger, cold and vermin and were tortured on several days. According to Lea, Urban had the Cardinal of Venice tortured until he could hear him howl, pacing meanwhile under the window of the torture chamber and reading his breviary aloud. See the entry Nocera and Genoa 1385/86.
Evidence: Dictionary of National Biography, Bd. 16 (London 1888), Artikel Easton, Adam
„on 11 Jan. 1385 he called before him six of the cardinals, including Easton“
Easton, Adam, Artikel Easton, Adam.
OriginalEvidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 15 (1912), Artikel Pope Urban VI
„six of them were imprisoned and their possessions confiscated. Those who did not confess were tortured“
Pope Urban VI, Artikel Pope Urban VI.
Original · Archive copyEvidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451), Bd. 1, S. 558
„Subjected to hunger, cold, and vermin“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 1, S. 558.
OriginalEvidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451), Bd. 1, S. 558
„with instructions to apply the torture till he could hear the victim howl“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 1, S. 558.
OriginalEvidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451), Bd. 1, S. 558
„while the pope paced the garden under the window of the torture-chamber, reading his breviary aloud“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 1, S. 558.
Original
During the flight from Nocera he had the tortured Bishop of Aquila killed. He took the cardinals with him to Genoa; except for Adam Easton, who was released on the intercession of Richard II, they were put to death there according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, towards the end of the following year according to the Dictionary of National Biography.
Evidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451), Bd. 1, S. 558
„Urban ordered him despatched and left his corpse unburied by the wayside“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 1, S. 558.
OriginalEvidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 15 (1912), Artikel Pope Urban VI
„the cardinals, excepting Adam Aston, were put to death at Genoa, in spite of the intervention of the doge“
Pope Urban VI, Artikel Pope Urban VI.
Original · Archive copyEvidence: Dictionary of National Biography, Bd. 16 (London 1888), Artikel Easton, Adam
„Towards the end of the following year, however, desiring again to change his residence, he put the captive cardinals to death to save trouble, with the exception only of Easton“
Bartolomeo Prignano was born at Naples about 1318, was from 1377 Archbishop of Bari and head of the papal chancery, and was elected pope on 8 April 1378. He died at Rome on 15 October 1389. A few months after his election French cardinals elected Robert of Geneva antipope; this began the Western Schism.
Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 15 (1912), Artikel Pope Urban VI
„born at Naples, about 1318; died at Rome, 15 October, 1389“
Pope Urban VI, Artikel Pope Urban VI.
Original · Archive copyEvidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Urban (Popes), Abschnitt Urban VI.
„in 1377 was translated to the archiepiscopal see of Bari and placed in charge of the papal chancery“
Urban deposed Queen Joanna of Naples and gave the kingdom to Charles of Durazzo, who in return was to hand over Capua, Caserta, Aversa, Nocera, Amalfi and other places to Urban's nephew; Pastor calls the nephew thoroughly worthless and immoral. According to Pastor, Urban despoiled churches and altars of their treasures to pay for the campaign against Naples. In 1389, to raise funds, he proclaimed a jubilee every thirty-three years.
Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Urban (Popes), Abschnitt Urban VI.
„Urban deposed Joanna of Naples (21st of April 1380) for adhering to France and Savoy in support of the antipope, and gave her kingdom to Charles of Durazzo.“
Urban (Popes), Artikel Urban (Popes), Abschnitt Urban VI..
Original · Archive copyEvidence: hg. von Frederick Ignatius Antrobus, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, London 1899, Bd. 1, S. 136
„Aversa, Nocera, Amalfi, and other places to the Pope's nephew, a thoroughly worthless and immoral man.“
Ludwig Pastor, The History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1, Bd. 1, S. 136.
OriginalEvidence: hg. von Frederick Ignatius Antrobus, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, London 1899, Bd. 1, S. 136
„Urban did not scruple to despoil churches and altars of their treasures, in order to obtain the resources necessary for the expedition against Naples.“
Ludwig Pastor, The History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1, Bd. 1, S. 136.
OriginalEvidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Urban (Popes), Abschnitt Urban VI.
„To raise funds he proclaimed, by bull of the 11th of April 1389, a jubilee for every thirty-three years“
According to Pastor, his cruel harshness greatly injured his reputation, and he died unlamented at Rome. Giles of Viterbo called the execution of the cardinals an outrage unheard of in any previous century. The Britannica writes that harshness, lack of tact and fondness for unworthy nephews disgraced his pontificate.
Evidence: hg. von Frederick Ignatius Antrobus, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, London 1899, Bd. 1, S. 137
„The cruel harshness of the aged Pope greatly injured his reputation.“
Ludwig Pastor, The History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1, Bd. 1, S. 137.
OriginalEvidence: hg. von Frederick Ignatius Antrobus, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, London 1899, Bd. 1, S. 137
„died unlamented at Rome on i5th October, 1389“
Ludwig Pastor, The History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1, Bd. 1, S. 137.
OriginalEvidence: hg. von Frederick Ignatius Antrobus, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, London 1899, Bd. 1, S. 137, Anm.
„scelus nullo antea sseculo auditum“
Ludwig Pastor, The History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1, Bd. 1, S. 137, Anm..
OriginalEvidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Urban (Popes), Abschnitt Urban VI.
„harshness, lack of tact, and fondness for unworthy nephews disgraced his pontificate“
Reference work
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 15 (1912): Pope Urban VI, 1 January 1912.
Original · Archive copy(retrieved 30 Oct 2026)
Reference work
Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): Urban (Popes), 1 January 1911.
Original · Archive copy(retrieved 30 Oct 2026)
Reference work
Dictionary of National Biography, Bd. 16 (London 1888): Easton, Adam, 1 January 1888.
Original(retrieved 30 Oct 2026)
Scholarly literature
Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451): Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1 (New York 1887/88).
Original(retrieved 11 Oct 2026)
Scholarly literature
hg. von Frederick Ignatius Antrobus, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, London 1899: Ludwig Pastor, The History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1, 1 January 1899.
Original(retrieved 30 Oct 2026)
Kirchenakte