Felix V, the Last Antipope*

chapter 15 Felix v, the Last Antipope* Ursula Giessmann 15.1 Introduction On 5 November 1439, the Council of Basel elected Felix v to the papacy. He was the former Savoyard Duke Amadeus viii and not only the last layman holding this office but also the last antipope of the Roman Catholic Church.1 Twenty- two years after the end of the Great Western Schism there were again two pre- tenders to the throne of St. Peter. Since the papal office is indivisible, the rivalry between Eugenius iv (1431–47)2 and his successor Nicholas v (1447–55), on the one hand, and Felix v (1439–49), on the other, was fundamental. The ascription of “antipope” amounts to a verdict: it indicates the illegitimacy of its bearer. This illegitimacy is, however, a mostly historical-political designation applied after the fact. The legitimate pope, included in the official list,3 as a rule, is the former pretender who secured a decision in his favor. After ten years as pope with an ever-diminishing obedience that finally con- sisted only of the duchy of Savoy, Felix v laid down some of the papal insignia— such as the Fisherman’s Ring—and resigned in favor of the Roman pretender, Nicholas v. In return, the now unrivalled and undisputed Roman pontiff al- lowed Amadeus, elevated to the dignity of cardinal bishop and legatus a latere, to continue wearing the papal garments—with only a few exceptions—in the * This chapter was translated from German by Michiel Decaluwé (initial translation), Gerald Christianson and Thomas M. Izbicki. 1 On Felix v see Ursula Gießmann, Der letzte Gegenpapst: Felix v. Studien zu Herrschaftspraxis und Legitimationsstrategien (1434–1451) (Papsttum im mittelalterlichen Europa) 3 (Cologne, 2014). On the terms antipope, antipapa, Gegenpapst, see Harald Müller, “Gegenpäpste—Prüf- steine universaler Autorität im Mittelalter,” in Gegenpäpste: Ein unerwünschtes mittelalterli- ches Phänomen, (eds.) Harald Müller and Brigitte Hotz (Cologne, 2012), 13–53, 22–34. On the current state of research on Amadeus viii, see Amédée viii—Félix v, Premier Duc de Savoie et Pape (1383–1451), (eds.) Bernard Andenmatten and Agostino Paravicini-Bagliani (Lausanne, 1992). 2 On Pope Eugenius iv see Decaluwé, Successful Defeat; Stieber, Eugenius iv; Joseph Gill, Eugenius iv: Pope of Christian Union (Westminster, md, 1961); Morimichi Watanabe, “Pope Eugenius iv, the Conciliar Movement, and the Primacy of Rome,” in Christianson, Izbicki, Bellitto, Church, Councils, Reform, 177–93. 3 The Annuario Pontificio publishes annually the official list of popes based on the compilation of Angelo Mercati, “The New List of Popes,” Mediaeval Studies 9 (1947), 71–80. © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, ��7 | doi �0.��63/978900433�464_0�7 <UN> 444 Giessmann district he now had as legate and his former obedience, the duchy of Savoy. His resignation in April 1449 also heralded the end of the Council of Basel. The older research into the last decade of the Council of Basel, which co- incided with Felix’ papacy, has predominantly interpreted the assembly as a story of decline and final demise.4 It is true that the number of participants decreased and the acceptance of the European princes waned. But we can also observe in these years several long-term developments accelerating, such as the growing influence of the princes on the government of their local churches and, with the pope’s final return to Rome, his increasing dependence on his ambient territory, the Papal States.5 Felix v epitomized many of these developments and a study of his person touches on many specific issues of the time. This chapter focuses on Pope Felix v. It will first consider his life before his election. Then it will turn to his election according to the famous record of Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini (Pope Pius ii, 1458–64) and his coronation in Basel in July 1440. Next, it will focus on Felix’s representation as pope and on his curial administration in Basel with special attention to his attempt to expand his influence in Savoy, his former duchy. We can observe how Felix v tried to transfer the concept of “Papal States” to Savoy—which emphasizes in a more general way the importance of territory for papal power. Finally, we will discuss Felix’s resignation of the papal office and his last years as Cardinal Amadeus. To begin with, however, we need to outline the development of the Basel schism.6 15.2 The Schism of Basel and Duke Amadeus viii of Savoy In Constance a general council had succeeded in restoring Church unity within western Christianity. At the same time new conflicts ensued. The reinvigorated papacy under Martin v (1417–31) in Rome strove for a restauration of its power, but the adherents of conciliar theory had gained considerable self-confidence through the successful end of the Council of Constance. They resolutely advo- cated the implementation of the Constance decree Frequens. In accordance with this decree, another council assembled after the Council of Pavia-Siena (1423–24). This council would persist—in heavily altered composition—until 1449. 4 Müller, Ende. 5 John A.F. Thomson, Popes and Princes (London, 1980), 78–94, also emphasizes the sale of venal offices in the Curia. 6 See the Historical Survey in this volume. <UN>.

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