Conclave 1559

De: Mary Hollingsworth

Narrado por: Julie Maisey

Conspiracy, intrigue and faction-fighting as the future of Europe hangs in the balance: Mary Hollingsworth tells the extraordinary story of the papal conclave in 1559 - the longest and bitterest of the 16th century.

Tasked with choosing a pontiff to replace a previous incumbent (Paul IV) whose reign was marked by repression and brutality, and faced with the growing challenge of the Protestant Reformation, the conclave faced a critically important decision for the future of the Roman Catholic Church and was faction-ridden even by the standards of such polarised gatherings. France and Spain, both looking to extend their power in Italy and beyond, had very different ideas of who the new pope should be, as did the Italian cardinals.

Making meticulous use of the detailed accounts left by Ippolito d'Este, one of the participating cardinals (and the son of Lucrezia Borgia), Mary Hollingsworth relates the intrigue and double-dealing of the different parties trying to secure the required number of votes over the four months of this lengthiest of 16th-century papal elections.

©2021 Mary Hollingsworth (P)2021 W F Howes

Stranger Than Fiction, Indeed

As I type this review, it’s been less than three weeks since Pope Leo XVI was elected to lead the Catholic Church in a conclave that lasted two days. Such brief conclaves, held in seclusion and notionally free of outside influences, have not always been the norm. The 1559 conclave, which lasted nearly four months, is just such a case and proved a rich story for author Mary Hollingsworth to explore with Conclave 1559.

Hollingsworth explores the rather lengthy conclave through Ippolito d'Este, one of the participating cardinals who left behind a wealth of surviving ledgers and correspondence. His accounting and writings serves as the backbone of the book by offering snapshots into the life of this cardinal and into the wider world of sixteenth century European politics where the fate of the church would (and ultimately did) determine the outcome of numerous rivalries and brewing conflicts. In the opening and concluding chapters, Hollingsworth sets the stakes alongside Ippolito’s life before exploring the aftermath and the cardinal’s final years.

Those represent the bookends, however. For in the chapters between, the titular conclave is in focus. A conclave that at times borders on the farcical. There are messages based from the outside, holes drilled in walls so the Spanish ambassador can communicate, and factions so steeped in national interest that the conclave grinds to a halt for weeks while messages from France and Spain are waited upon. Between all of that, there’s a wide cast of characters from papal nephew’s to murderous cardinals and sick old men that listeners meet along the way with all playing some small role in shaping events. It’s no wonder than there’s moments of utter exasperation where cardinals blow their tops at one another over the flagrant abuses of protocol.

Hollingsworth for her part keeps things lively. The book is a rich tapestry of characters and events, often reconstructed from correspondence and later accounts, as well as Ippolito’s aforementioned documentation. There are times when the book becomes lists of expenses, the listing of factions, or the results of scrutiny votes in conclave, but the events and real-life cast of characters are more than enough to keep listeners engaged even when things turn dry. Something which is further aided by Julie Maisey’s steady but well-paced reading, which leans into the exasperation at times but also keeps things serious.

Indeed, there’s arguably a sixteenth century based film equivalent to The Death of Stalin ready to be made out of Hollingsworth’s book. Because by the time I reached the end of the four month conclave, the old adage that “truth is stranger than fiction” had proven to be more than true. Something that listeners can discover for themselves even in the aftermath of a far shorter conclave.

great research

very well researched and detailed work. though being a history buff with "above average " level of knowledge of the subject I have foundation lots of interesting info in the book. Mary Hollingsworth is a true scholar.

Great theme, awful writing

Loved the theme; was very interested in learning more about this conclave.

However, this book is little more than someone going through diaries and/or written works that are readily available, and regurgitating them, right down to shopping lists Ann's other useless minutia.

All the elements of an exciting, dramatic recounting of this event are in place- yet the writer paints no real picture of the characters involved, instead offering a dull, plodding retelling, completely devoid of anything remotely gripping.

Rubbing salt in the wound, the writer, after turning what should have been the dramatic conclusion of the papal election into a much smaller event, then offers another hour-plus on the following six years, every bit as uninteresting as her storytelling so far.

I initially thought this book must've been edited extremely poorly- but I searched out a podcast with the author, and after hearing her disjointed ramblings for forty minutes, I'm convinced the poor editors did the absolute best they could with the material this author provided.

If you like detailed shopping lists, the value of the local currency, mind-numbingly similar storylines on page after page, then you'll love this book.