URBAN VI., Pope 1378-89, Bartolommeo Pri gnano. At the time of his election lie was Arch bishop of Bari. On the death of Gregory XI., who had brought back the seat of the Papacy from Avignon to Rome, Prignano was elected in a conclave held under circumstances of great excitement, owing to the apprehension on the part of the populace of an intention to elect a French pope and again abandon Rome. The most important aspect of his pontificate is that relating to the Great Schism (see SCHISM, WESTERN ) , which arose out of the -conflicting claims to the election, While the candidate of the French cardinals took up his residence at Avignon, under the name of Clement VII., Urban occupied the Papal seat in Rome. After a dispute with Charles, King of Naples, whom he had him self crowned, he died of a fall from his horse, though there were the usual suspicions of poison. —URBAN VII., Pope 1590, Giovanni Castagna. He had been a member of the Council of Trent in its last period, and then for several years nuncio in Spain. Elected to succeed Sixtus V., he died twelve
days later,before he could be consecrated.—URBAN VIII., Pope 1623-44, Maffeo Barberini. He was born in Florence, 1568, educated at Rome and Pisa, and destined for an ecclesiastical career.
After serving twice as nuncio to France, he was made cardinal in 1606. Urban VIII. was guilty of nepotism ; but his administration was, on the whole, vigorous and enlightened. Ile was the founder of the celebrated College of the Propa ganda, and to him Rome is indebted for many public works. Some of the early stages of the Jansenist controversy (see .1 A NSEN ISM ) fall within his pontificate. In the Thirty Years' War he sided with France against the Emperor and Spain. In his pontificate the Duchy of Urbino was annexed to the Papal dominions.