Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
Person 1431-1447 · about 16 years old · show in timeline

Eugene IV (pope 1431 to 1447): Bloody conflict with the Colonna, struggle with the Council of Basle, which deposed him as a heretic in 1439

Gabriele Condulmer came to the throne in 1431. His measures against his predecessor's family led to a bloody conflict with the Colonna. He dissolved the Council of Basle in 1431; the prelates refused and declared the council superior to the pope. In 1434 he fled Rome from an uprising, in a monk's garb and pelted with stones. He excommunicated the prelates assembled at Basle, who deposed him as a heretic in 1439 and elected Felix V as antipope. The Catholic Encyclopedia attributes many of his troubles to his want of tact.

Life dates
1431-1447 (about 16 years old)
Country
Italy, Switzerland, Vatican City
Institutions
Holy See
Council of Basle
Category
Persecution
Level of evidence
B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?

What happened to the people

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. By a bull of 18 December 1431 he dissolved the Council of Basle. The prelates refused and in 1432 reasserted the superiority of the council over the pope. On 15 December 1433 he recalled the bull.
    Evidence: Robert Appleton Company / The Encyclopedia Press (Wikisource), Eugene IV
    „Eugene, by a Bull dated December 18, 1431, dissolved it“
    Popes Eugene I-IV, in: Catholic Encyclopedia (1909), Bd. 5, Eugene IV. Original
    Evidence: Robert Appleton Company / The Encyclopedia Press (Wikisource), Eugene IV
    „The pope recalled the Bull and acknowledged the council as ecumenical“
    Popes Eugene I-IV, in: Catholic Encyclopedia (1909), Bd. 5, Eugene IV. Original

What happened to those affected?

  1. In May 1434 he fled from an uprising in Rome, in a monk's garb and pelted with stones.
    Evidence: Robert Appleton Company / The Encyclopedia Press (Wikisource), Eugene IV
    „in the garb of a monk, and pelted with stones“
    Popes Eugene I-IV, in: Catholic Encyclopedia (1909), Bd. 5, Eugene IV. Original

Background

Course of events

  1. According to the Britannica, his measures against the relations of his predecessor Martin V at once led to a contest with the house of Colonna. The Catholic Encyclopedia calls the conflict fierce and sanguinary; it ended with the surrender of the castles and an indemnity of 75,000 ducats.
    Evidence: Cambridge University Press (Wikisource), Eugenius IV.
    „His violent measures, as pope, against the relations of his predecessor“
    Eugenius IV, in: Encyclopædia Britannica (1911), Bd. 9, Eugenius IV.. Original
    Evidence: Robert Appleton Company / The Encyclopedia Press (Wikisource), Eugene IV
    „a fierce and sanguinary conflict with the house of Colonna“
    Popes Eugene I-IV, in: Catholic Encyclopedia (1909), Bd. 5, Eugene IV. Original
    Evidence: Robert Appleton Company / The Encyclopedia Press (Wikisource), Eugene IV
    „paid an indemnity of 75,000 ducats“
    Popes Eugene I-IV, in: Catholic Encyclopedia (1909), Bd. 5, Eugene IV. Original

Response of the Church

  1. In 1438 he excommunicated the prelates assembled at Basle. They deposed him as a heretic on 25 June 1439 and in November elected Duke Amadeus VIII of Savoy as antipope Felix V.
    Evidence: Cambridge University Press (Wikisource), Eugenius IV.
    „excommunicated the prelates assembled at Basel“
    Eugenius IV, in: Encyclopædia Britannica (1911), Bd. 9, Eugenius IV.. Original
    Evidence: Cambridge University Press (Wikisource), Eugenius IV.
    „formally deposed him as a heretic on the 25th of June 1439“
    Eugenius IV, in: Encyclopædia Britannica (1911), Bd. 9, Eugenius IV.. Original

Scholarly literature and reference works

  1. Reference work
    Cambridge University Press (Wikisource): Eugenius IV, in: Encyclopædia Britannica (1911), Bd. 9, 1 January 1911. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
  2. Reference work
    Robert Appleton Company / The Encyclopedia Press (Wikisource): Popes Eugene I-IV, in: Catholic Encyclopedia (1909), Bd. 5, 1 January 1909. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
Change log (1)

The change log is kept in German only.

  • : Aufgenommen

Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.