Nocera and Genoa 1385/86: Pope Urban VI had six cardinals imprisoned and tortured, five never came out again
In January 1385 Pope Urban VI had six of his cardinals arrested at Nocera near Naples because they wanted to place him under supervision or depose him. They were thrown into a narrow abandoned cistern, suffered hunger and cold and were tortured on several days. According to Henry Charles Lea, the pope paced up and down under the window of the torture chamber reading his breviary aloud while the Cardinal of Venice was tortured. During his flight Urban had the tortured Bishop of Aquila killed and took the cardinals with him to Genoa. Only the Englishman Adam Easton was released on the intercession of King Richard II; according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the other five were put to death in Genoa.
Deaths
5(counted, cardinals, put to death in Genoa in 1386 (according to Lea never seen again))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 from Nocera in 1385)Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 15 (1912)
„During the voyage the Bishop of Aquila, one of the conspirators, was executed“
Urban VI (pope 1378 to 1389, had the cardinals imprisoned, tortured and put to death) Adam Easton (English cardinal, imprisoned and tortured, released on the intercession of Richard II) Cardinal di Sangro (cardinal, imprisoned in the cistern of Nocera and tortured) Cardinal of Venice (old and sickly cardinal, tortured with strappado and rack under Urban's supervision) Bishop of Aquila (tortured, killed on Urban's order during the flight from Nocera)
What happened to the people
Who was affected? Victims and numbers
On 11 January 1385 Urban called six cardinals before him, among them the Englishman Adam Easton, and thrust them into a dungeon. According to Lea they were seized as they left the consistory. Their possessions were confiscated. Among the prisoners Lea names the Cardinal di Sangro, the Cardinal of Venice and the Bishop of Aquila.
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: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451), Bd. 1, S. 557
„When, in 1385, six cardinals were accused of conspiring against Urban VI. the angry pontiff had them seized as they left the consistory“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 1, S. 557.
OriginalEvidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 15 (1912), Artikel Pope Urban VI
„six of them were imprisoned and their possessions confiscated“
When no one confessed, the Bishop of Aquila was tortured and a confession extracted that implicated the others. The cardinals still denied any guilt and were tortured on successive days. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, all who did not confess were tortured. According to Lea, all that could be obtained from the Cardinal di Sangro was the despairing self-accusation that he suffered justly for the evil he had done to archbishops, bishops and other prelates at Urban's command.
Evidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451), Bd. 1, S. 558
„This failing, torture was used on the Bishop of Aquila and a confession was procured implicating the others. They still refused to admit their guilt, and they were tortured on successive days.“
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
„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
„All that could be obtained from the Cardinal di Sangro was the despairing self-accusation that he suffered justly in view of the evil which he had wrought on archbishops, bishops, and other prelates at Urban's command.“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 1, S. 558.
OriginalEvidence: Dictionary of National Biography, Bd. 16 (London 1888), Artikel Easton, Adam
„examined and tortured, but to no purpose except to amuse the ferocious pope“
The prisoners were put into an abandoned cistern in the castle of Nocera, so narrow that the tall and portly Cardinal di Sangro could not stretch himself out. They suffered hunger, cold and vermin; creatures of the pope promised them mercy if they confessed. The Dictionary of National Biography calls the dungeon noisome and reeking.
Evidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451), Bd. 1, S. 558
„abandoned cistern in the castle of Nocera, where he was staying, so restricted in dimensions that the Cardinal di Sangro, who was tall and portly, could not stretch himself at full length.“
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
„Subjected to hunger, cold, and vermin, the accused were plied by the creatures of the pope with promises of mercy if they would confess.“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 1, S. 558.
OriginalEvidence: Dictionary of National Biography, Bd. 16 (London 1888), Artikel Easton, Adam
According to Lea, Urban entrusted the torture of the Cardinal of Venice to an old pirate whom he had made Prior of the Order of St. John in Sicily, with instructions to apply the torture until he could hear the victim howl. The torture lasted from early morning until dinner-time. Meanwhile the pope paced the garden under the window of the torture chamber, reading his breviary aloud so that the sound of his voice would remind the executioner of the instructions. The strappado and the rack were applied by turns; the old and sickly cardinal said nothing but "Christ suffered for us!". Lea relies among others on Dietrich of Nieheim, De schismate.
Evidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451), Bd. 1, S. 558
„When it came to the turn of the Cardinal of Venice, Urban intrusted the work to an ancient pirate, whom he had created Prior of the Order of St. John in Sicily, 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
„the infliction lasted from early morning till the dinner-hour, while the pope paced the garden under the window of the torture-chamber, reading his breviary aloud that the sound of his voice might keep the executioner reminded of the instructions.“
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
„The strappado and rack were applied by turns, but though the victim was old and sickly, nothing could be wrenched from him save the ejaculation, "Christ suffered for us!"“
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. 559, Anm.
„Theod. a Niem de Schismate Lib. I. c. 42“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 1, S. 559, Anm..
Original
When Urban fled from besieged Nocera, he dragged the prisoners with him. According to Lea, he had the Bishop of Aquila, weakened by torture and unable to keep up on a miserable hack, despatched and his corpse left unburied by the wayside. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the bishop was executed during the voyage.
Evidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451), Bd. 1, S. 558
„In the flight the Bishop of Aquila, weakened by torture and mounted on a miserable hack, could not keep up with the party, when 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
„During the voyage the Bishop of Aquila, one of the conspirators, was executed“
The cardinals were taken by sea to Genoa, where Urban settled his court in September 1385, and were kept there in so vile a dungeon that the authorities were moved to pity and vainly begged mercy for them. The Englishman Adam Easton was released on the intercession of King Richard II of England, but lost his English benefice and his rank as cardinal. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the other five were put to death in Genoa in spite of the intervention of the doge; according to the Dictionary of National Biography, towards the end of the following year. According to Lea they were never seen again; some said Urban had them beheaded, others that he had them cast into the sea, others again that they were buried alive in a trench in his stable with quicklime.
Evidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451), Bd. 1, S. 558
„The six cardinals, less fortunate, were carried by sea to Genoa, and kept in so vile a dungeon that the authorities were moved to pity and vainly begged mercy for them.“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 1, S. 558.
OriginalEvidence: Dictionary of National Biography, Bd. 16 (London 1888), Artikel Easton, Adam
„after long wanderings settled his court at Genoa (September)“
Easton, Adam, Artikel Easton, Adam.
OriginalEvidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451), Bd. 1, S. 558
„Cardinal Adam Aston, an Englishman, was released on the vigorous intercession of Richard II., but 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), Bd. 1, S. 558.
OriginalEvidence: Dictionary of National Biography, Bd. 16 (London 1888), Artikel Easton, Adam
„Easton lost his English benefice and was degraded from his cardinalship“
Easton, Adam, Artikel Easton, Adam.
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“
Easton, Adam, Artikel Easton, Adam.
OriginalEvidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451), Bd. 1, S. 558
„Some said that Urban had them beheaded; others that when he sailed for Sicily he carried them to sea and cast them overboard; others, again, that a trench was dug in his stable in which they were buried alive with a quantity of quicklime, to hasten the disappearance of their bodies.“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 1, S. 558.
OriginalEvidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Urban (Popes), Abschnitt Urban VI.
„Urban succeeded in escaping to Genoa, where he put several of his cardinals to death for suspected disloyalty.“
Urban VI (Bartolomeo Prignano of Naples) was pope from April 1378 to October 1389. A few months after his election French cardinals declared it invalid and on 20 September 1378 elected Robert of Geneva (Clement VII); this began the Western Schism. The Catholic Encyclopedia regards Urban's election as lawful and that of Clement VII as uncanonical.
Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Urban (Popes), Abschnitt Urban VI.
„pope from the 8th of April 1378 to the 15th of October 1389“
Urban (Popes), Artikel Urban (Popes), Abschnitt Urban VI..
Original · Archive copyEvidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 15 (1912), Artikel Pope Urban VI
„On 20 September Robert of Geneva was chosen pope, and on this day the Western Schism began.“
Pope Urban VI, Artikel Pope Urban VI.
Original · Archive copyEvidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 15 (1912), Artikel Pope Urban VI
„it is certain that the election of Urban was lawful, that of Clement uncanonical“
Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)
In 1384 Urban had moved his court to cramped Nocera near Naples. There several cardinals had the canonist Bartolino di Piacenza draw up an opinion that a pope who endangered the Church through incapacity or obstinacy could be placed under the guardianship of cardinals. According to Pastor they intended to take forcible possession of his person; according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, to depose or at least arrest him. According to the Dictionary of National Biography they wanted to limit his power through a council; they were charged with a plot against the pope's life.
Evidence: Dictionary of National Biography, Bd. 16 (London 1888), Artikel Easton, Adam
„Easton's troubles began in 1384, when Pope Urban moved the seat of the curia to cramped and unpleasant quarters at Nocera.“
Easton, Adam, Artikel Easton, Adam.
OriginalEvidence: hg. von Frederick Ignatius Antrobus, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, London 1899, Bd. 1, S. 137
„several of them got an opinion drawn up by a Canonist, Bartolino di Piacenza, to the effect that a Pope, who by his incapacity or blind obstinacy should endanger the Church, might be placed under the guardian“
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
„They accordingly determined to take forcible possession of his person“
Ludwig Pastor, The History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1, Bd. 1, S. 137.
OriginalEvidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 15 (1912), Artikel Pope Urban VI
„they proposed to depose or, at least, arrest him“
Pope Urban VI, Artikel Pope Urban VI.
Original · Archive copyEvidence: Dictionary of National Biography, Bd. 16 (London 1888), Artikel Easton, Adam
„they proposed to limit his despotic power by the establishment of a council“
Easton, Adam, Artikel Easton, Adam.
OriginalEvidence: Dictionary of National Biography, Bd. 16 (London 1888), Artikel Easton, Adam
„They were charged with a plot against the pope's life“
The possessions of the imprisoned cardinals were confiscated. According to Pastor, Urban did not scruple to despoil churches and altars of their treasures in order to pay for his expedition against Naples; Charles of Durazzo had promised to hand over Capua, Caserta, Aversa, Nocera, Amalfi and other places to his nephew, whom Pastor calls a thoroughly worthless and immoral man. To raise funds, Urban proclaimed by bull of 11 April 1389 a jubilee every thirty-three years.
Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 15 (1912), Artikel Pope Urban VI
„six of them were imprisoned and their possessions confiscated“
Pope Urban VI, Artikel Pope Urban VI.
Original · Archive copyEvidence: 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: 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: 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, the pope's cruel harshness greatly injured his reputation, and two of his cardinals went over to the French pope. In his Historia viginti saeculorum, Giles of Viterbo called the execution of the cardinals an outrage unheard of in any previous century. The Catholic Encyclopedia takes it as certain that the cardinals planned to depose him; it calls the claim that they intended to burn him as a heretic possibly a fantastic rumour. Five cardinals who had remained at Nocera renounced their obedience to him in a manifesto.
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. Two of his Cardinals went over to the French Pope, by whom they were gladly welcomed.“
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.
„tion of the Cardinals by order of Urban VI. is characterized by“
Ludwig Pastor, The History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1, Bd. 1, S. 137, Anm..
OriginalEvidence: hg. von Frederick Ignatius Antrobus, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, London 1899, Bd. 1, S. 137, Anm.
„of Viterbo in his Historia viginti saeculor“
Ludwig Pastor, The History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1, Bd. 1, S. 137, Anm..
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: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 15 (1912), Artikel Pope Urban VI
„It may be taken for certain that the cardinals had conspired against Urban, with a view of deposing him; that they intended to burn him as an heretic may be a fantastic rumour.“
Pope Urban VI, Artikel Pope Urban VI.
Original · Archive copyEvidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 15 (1912), Artikel Pope Urban VI
„the manifesto of the five cardinals, who remained at Nocera and renounced his obedience“
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)
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