URBAN IV, POPE — U. IV shows the Corporal to the people of Orvieto. Sixth panel of the frescoes by Ugolino di Ilario (c. 1357). The frescoes were poorly restored in the 19th century — Orvieto, Duomo, Cappella del Corporale.
The collection of his letters bears witness to the multiplicity of his interventions in ecclesiastical affairs, and the Decretals contain a considerable number of decisions issued by him. His power over Christendom was also manifested through the action of permanent legates.
URBAN IV, POPE — Born Giacomo Pantaleone, he was born in Troyes c. 1200 and died in Perugia on 2 Oct 1264.
In 1240 he was archdeacon of Liège; in 1247-49 legate in Silesia, Poland and Prussia; in 1249 archdeacon of Laon; in 1253 bishop of Verdun, and in 1255 patriarch of Jerusalem. After the death of Alexander IV (1261), the cardinals gathered in conclave at Viterbo, due to a lack of mutual agreement, dispersed their votes so widely that they made it impossible to elect one of their number, and instead chose the patriarch of Jerusalem (29 Aug 1261), who was consecrated on 4 Sept. The new pope, unable to reside in Rome due to the unrest, stayed first in Viterbo, then in Orvieto, and ended his days in Perugia.
U. deserves credit for settling the thorny question of the Kingdom of Sicily. Setting aside the candidacy of Conradin, son of Conrad, and that of Manfred, natural son of Emperor Frederick II, he sought to offer the throne to a French prince. It was difficult to obtain the acceptance of King Louis IX, and protracted negotiations ensued, which nonetheless ended in a definitive agreement (15 Aug 1264), whereby Charles of Anjou would conquer the Kingdom within a year. Every precaution was taken to ensure that the Church’s vassal would not scheme to obtain the empire or seek hegemony in Italy. U. also intervened in the disputes convulsing England, resolutely siding with King Henry III against the barons, who sought to impose restrictive conditions on his authority, known as the Provisions of Oxford. He rejected these and gave his full support to the arbitral award pronounced at Amiens by St Louis (24 Jan 1264). His legate, Guido Fulcodi (the future Clement IV), was sent to England to end the disagreement between the king and his subjects, but was subjected to a mortal affront when passage through the Strait of Calais was denied him.
The papal policy pursued in the East particularly hindered the cause of union between the Greek and Latin Churches, since any agreement became impossible once the Pope worked toward the restoration of the Latin Empire. In matters of religion, U. distinguished himself by instituting the feast of Corpus Christi ([v.] 11 Aug 1264).