April 1555 Conclave
elected Marcellus II5–9 April 1555 · The early modern conclaves · Apostolic Palace, Papal States
The April 1555 papal conclave (5–9 April) was convoked after the death of Pope Julius III. The cardinals at the conclave generally grouped themselves into three major factions, according to their alignment with the French House of Valois, the Habsburgs, or Italian states that remained independent of both major Catholic powers.
Elected pope
Marcellus II
Marcello Cervini
Succeeded
Julius III
Duration
5 days
1 ballot
Cardinal electors
—
locked in under conclave rules
Key officials
| Dean | Gian Pietro Carafa |
| Camerlengo | Guido Ascanio Sforza |
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.