We all know the beautiful frescoes that Michelangelo has painted inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican where in the last 120 years the Popes have been elected. But it was not always like that. The history of the Popes in the middle age was made also outside of Rome and the seat of the Papacy and His elections were held in several different places. In the mid 1200s, due to the unstable political situation in Rome, the Pope had moved his residence to Viterbo, 50 kms north of Rome. Since 1270 the ceremony that elects the Pope started to be named Conclave, which literally means 'locked in'. Eighteen cardinals were closed inside this room by the people of Viterbo after almost two years of black-smoke votes to make sure they came out with a Pope quickly. A few days after even the ceiling was removed to help them make the decision. The long delay, which made locals tired of feeding the members of the clergy, was due to the fact the 9 cardinals were french and 9 italian and only when a french died the new italian Pope could be elected.
