1758 conclave
election
The 1758 papal conclave (15 May – 6 July) was convoked after the death of Pope Benedict XIV on 3 May 1758 and ended with the election of Cardinal Carlo di Rezzonico, who took the name Clement XIII.
Divisions among the cardinals
The College of Cardinals was divided into several factions, which initially formed two blocs:
Curial group – it included two factions of curial Cardinals: anziani – the small party of the Cardinals created by Pope Clement XII with his Cardinal-nephew Neri Maria Corsini as leader; and zelanti – the group of the conservative Cardinals, headed by Cardinal Giuseppe Spinelli, who generally opposed any secular influence on the Church.
Union of Crowns – it included representatives and allies of the Catholic courts. The interests of Ferdinand VI of Spain were represented by Portocarrero, those of Charles V of Sicily/Charles VII of Naples – by Orsini, and those of Maria Theresa of Austria and her consort Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor by Alessandro Albani (also protector of Sardinia) and von Rodt. The French faction was leaderless at the time of death of Benedict XIV, because Cardinal-protector of France Pierre Guérin de Tencin died on March 2, 1758. King Louis XV of France appointed Cardinal Prospero Colonna di Sciarra as his successor, but this nomination became publicly known only on June 9, almost a month after the beginning of the conclave.
Many cardinals created by Benedict XIV (called "Juniors") did not belong to any faction, but majority of them aligned themselves with "Union of Crowns", particularly with Spanish protector Portocarrero.
During the conclave, however, these two groups mixed with each other. Near the end of the conclave, on the one side there was the Imperial faction together with zelanti, and on the other side Anziani, together with the Bourbon faction (defending the interests of the Bourbon crowns).
Because of the absence of the political representatives of the main Catholic courts the ambassadors of France and the Empire asked the electors for delay voting until their arrival. This demand was rejected before the conclave began.
“1758 conclave” enters the record as election. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what conclave and election can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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