ROBERT OF GENEVA (CLEMENT VII), Antipope. - Born in Geneva in 1342 to the count of the city, Amadeus III, and to Matilda of Boulogne, a relative of the King of France, canon of Paris, bishop of Thérouanne (3 Nov. 1361) and then archbishop of Cambrai (11 Oct. 1368), he was created cardinal by Gregory XI on 30 May 1371.
ROBERT OF GENEVA (CLEMENT VII), antipope - Coat of arms of R. of G. and of the Duke of Berry. Miniature of the end of the 14th century, from vol. II of the Bible that belonged to the Duke of Berry: "as appears from the following annotations on folio 437: 'Cette bible est au duc de Berry et dauvergne conte de Poitou'" - Vatican Library, cod. Vat. lat. 51, fol. 1.
Sent as legate to Italy (1376-78), he commanded the Breton bands that carried out the massacre of Cesena (1 Feb. 1377). He took part in the election of Urban VI, but withdrew from him, together with the French cardinals who elected him pontiff at Fondi on 20 Sept. 1378 under the name Clement VII, thus beginning the disastrous Western Schism. When his attempt to seize Rome failed (battle of Marino of 30 Apr. 1379) and a stay under the protection of Queen Joanna proved impossible, he left Italy and on 20 June established his seat at Avignon. R.'s family ties and connections, particularly that of Charles V, King of France, who had favored the rebellion of the cardinals, and then that of his son Charles VI, were the strongest supports of the Avignon obedience. This was formed, besides France, by the Spanish kingdoms, by Scotland and occasionally by some German prince and bishop, and never had with it the majority of Christendom. In Italy only the Kingdom of Naples, according to dynastic vicissitudes, at times became subject to Clement VII. The latter excommunicated his adversary, as the latter had excommunicated him, but was continually forced to resort to expedients in order to keep his adherents loyal, for they chafed at the heavy impositions made necessary by the lack of money, by the continuous struggles and by the expenses of a costly court. As early as 1379 R. created Louis of Anjou, brother of Charles V, a vassal of the Holy See, assigning him the "Kingdom of Adria" formed from the possessions of the Holy See. In 1382 he appointed him captain of the Church for the conquest of the Kingdom of Naples. When he died in 1384, he gave that kingdom to his son Louis II and aided his vain attempts at conquest. There was no lack in France of pressure on R. for the ending of the schism, first at the time of the death of Urban VI (1389), then on the part of the University of Paris, which in 1394 made it an almost direct imposition on R., who died suddenly of a stroke of apoplexy on 16 Sept. 1394.
Bibliography6 works
Irenco Daniele