Who he was
Bartolomeo Prignano went to Avignon young, became Archbishop of Acerenza in 1364 and of Bari in 1377, and ran the papal chancery, where he was respected for his ability, honesty and knowledge of law. He was elected in Rome in April 1378, in a short conclave held while crowds outside demanded a Roman or at least an Italian pope; he was not a cardinal. He set about reforming the Curia but quarrelled bitterly with the cardinals, and dealt severely with those he suspected of plotting against him. He died in Rome in October 1389.
What he is remembered for
His reign saw the start of the Great Western Schism: within months, cardinals who rejected his election chose Robert of Geneva at Fondi as a rival, Clement VII, who settled at Avignon. Europe divided between the two, with England, Ireland, much of Germany and most of Italy holding to Urban as the Roman pope.
Sources
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