Pope Martin IV
Martin IV (* 1210 in Mainpincien (France), † March 28, 1285 in Perugia ) was from 1281 until his death Pope.
Born as Simon de Brion joined Martin IV, there is about the origin and early years of little traditions, first as an archdeacon in Rouen and as a canon of Tours in appearance. 1260 de Brion became Chancellor of the French king Louis IX.
Collected in 1261 for Cardinal Priest of the titular church of Santa Cecilia, was de Brion repeated active as papal legate at the French court. He was also from 1262 head of the Inquisition.
After the death of Pope Nicholas III. in 1280 were called to the election of his successor cardinals to the conclave in Viterbo together. In order to strengthen the power base of the French cardinals, a relative of the late Pope had been arrested as a precaution with Cardinal Matteo Orsini. After half a year, marked by political power struggles conclave finally de Brion was elected on 22 February 1281 Print of Charles I of Naples and Sicily as pope.
His choice of name is based on a confusion between the pope and the name of Martin Marinus in medieval chronicles. Marinus I and Marinus II were here that is mistakenly referred to as Martin II and Martin III. been performed, so that de Brion his pontificate as Martin IV took, although his immediate predecessor, Pope Martin name was I..
This frail Pope took his every action - whether secular or political - as a Frenchman and not as Pope before. None of his predecessors has become so degraded, like Martin. He was practically only docile court chaplain to King Charles I of Naples and Sicily. Martin appointed Charles I back to the Senator of Rome. To ensure that this was the most powerful man and actual ruler of the Papal States. The goal of Charles continued the conquest of Byzantium. He urged the pope to guard the Byzantine emperor Michael VIII (18 November 1282). The triggered by Byzantium and supported by the bloody rule of the hated French Sicilian Vespers on March 31, 1282 saved Byzantium. In Sicily came on September 4, 1282 Peter III. of Aragon, the son of King Manfred to power. The reaction of the Pope was the spell and the dismissal of Peter III. (21 March 1283) and the appointment of Charles of Valois, son of Philip III. on May 5, 1284 the ruler of Aragon. The measure was bland and had no consequences. The subsequent French war of aggression, out of dynastic interest and yet declared by the Pope crusade ended with the total defeat of the French fleet. Half a year before the death of Charles I on January 7, 1285 the heir to the throne Charles was captured by a argonesischen fleet on June 5, 1284.
The negotiations initiated by his predecessor with the German King Rudolph I of Habsburg over an imperial coronation he broke off. In Italy, it never managed to get influence. After his election, the city of Rome had refused to feed, so he moved his headquarters to Orvieto.
Church History goes back to Martin IV, the degree of recognition and strengthening of the mendicant orders.