1523 Conclave
elected Clement VII1 October – 19 November 1523 · The early modern conclaves · Apostolic Palace, Papal States
Adrian VI experienced ill health during the final months of his life, inspiring the cardinals to begin politicking. Francis I of France had just dispatched a large army into northern Italy in 1522, and expecting to leverage this force to effect the election of French cardinal Jean de Lorraine, or more likely a pro-French Italian cardinal such as Niccolò Fieschi.
Elected pope
Clement VII
Giulio de' Medici
Succeeded
—
Duration
50 days
Cardinal electors
—
locked in under conclave rules
Key officials
| Dean | Bernardino de Sande |
| Camerlengo | Francesco de' Medici |
Ballot-by-ballot tallies are destroyed by design — the paper is burned in the stove whose smoke announces the result — so this entry records what the Church documents: the dates, the electors, the number of ballots where known, and the man who walked out onto the balcony.