Henry III's Italian Campaign and the Synod of Sutri

Name: Henry III's Italian Campaign and the Synod of Sutri
Start: 1046

Type Event Region Italy Time 1046

In 1046 Holy Roman Emperor Henry III marched into Italy, held a synod at Sutri deposing three rival popes (Sylvester III, Benedict IX, Gregory VI), r…

Timeline

1046Southern slopes of the Alps to northern Italy · LombardyAt the request of the papacy and Italian bishops, Henry III marched south as Holy Roman Emperor, aiming to end the chaos in the Roman papacy caused by three rival claimants.
1046Sutri · LazioAt the synod held in Sutri, Henry III presided over the rulings, forcing Sylvester III, Benedict IX and Gregory VI to abdicate or be deposed in turn, ending the scandal of three coexisting popes.
1046Rome · LazioAfter the synod, the German bishop Suidger was raised as Clement II; on Christmas Day Henry III was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in Rome by the new pope, formally establishing the emperor's right to intervene in papal elections.

Sources

Cambridge Medieval History, Vol. III: Germany and the Western Empire (1922)
The Papacy: An Encyclopedia — Philippe Levillain (2002)