Viterbo - Cattedrale di San Lorenzo

The Viterbo Cathedral, built on the site of an ancient temple of Hercules, was consecrated as a parish church in 1181, before 11 years later became a cathedral - and the center of a diocese.

Within the 13th century the cathedral was part of the "Palazzo dei Papi", as from 1257 to 1281 Viterbo was the papal seat. Following the death of Pope Clement IV a conclave was held here. It took exactly 1005 days (from November 1268 to September 1271) and was the longest papal election in the history. During these years three of the twenty cardinals died, one of them resigned.

The election od Pope Gregory X finally occurred more than a year after the magistrates of Viterbo locked the cardinals in and reduced their rations to bread and water. There is a legend telling, that the roof of the "Palazzo dei Papi" was removed, so that the cardinals had to stay under the open sky - and the Holy Spirit found a better entrance.