Pope Alexander V (11 January 1302-11 September 1345), born Benoit de Bourgogne-Comte, was Pope from 2 November 1339 to 11 September 1345, succeeding Pope Benedict XII and preceding Pope Honorius V. Alexander was born in Burgundy, France, but he would later convert to the Italian culture while living in Rome and would alienate the French elite of the Papal States; Alexander moved the Avignon Papacy away from the House of Anjou and towards the House of Aragon. Alexander lifted the excommunication on Pere IV of Aragon and excommunicated Joanna I of Naples, a rival of his, and he imprisoned those in Papal society whom he deemed to be threats to his rule. Although he went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and launched a crusade for Jerusalem, he did not have the support of his bishops and the nobles, and he died in 1345 under suspicious circumstances.
Biography[]
Early Life and Papacy[]
Benoit de Bourgogne-Comte was born on 11 January 1302 to the Bourgogne-Comte family in France, and he was ordained as a cardinal under Pope Benedict XII. At the young age of 37, he was consecrated as Pope after the death of Benedict XII, and he spent his first two years granting absolution to Christian rulers who pleaded for him to forgive their sins. On 4 January 1341, the excommunicated King Alfonso XI of Castile installed Antipope Callixtus III in opposition to him. On 20 February 1342, Alexander once more faced a challenge when Queen Joanna I of Naples declared war on him, starting a war between the Kingdom of Naples and Papal States. On 29 September, following the Papal army's capture of Naples, Alexander forced Joanna to surrender, ending the conflict with Naples.
Downfall[]
Pope Alexander after identifying as Italian
On 16 February 1343, Pope Alexander made a change in his style as Pope, adapting to the Italian culture and speaking in Italian rather than French during mass. This angered some of the French nobility that his predecessor Pope Benedict XII (also a Frenchman) had enabled to rise to high positions in the Papal States, and Alexander became unpopular. On 20 April, he had Count Foulques of Venaissin imprisoned, and he died in prison a year later. Pope Alexander tried to imprison Foulques' wife Countess Amalia of Venaissin, but she went into exile; he succeeded in capturing their son, Count Gargamel of Venaissin. Alexander proceeded to reverse some of Benedict XII's stances, such as lifting the excommunication on Pere IV of Aragon and attacking the House of Anjou by excommunicating Joanna of Naples, which was the last straw for the French elite (at this point, all of the members of Papal society were hostile towards him). Count Roberto of Orvieto began a conspiracy against Alexander, which included Marshal Baron Geronimo of Benevento and several high-ranking bishops, and on 11 September 1345 his carriage was sent flying off of a cliff, killing him. The driver was then murdered, ensuring that his death was a secret. Pope Honorius V succeeded him.