Pope Benedict X (reigned 1058-1059; died ca. 1073 or 1080), was born John Minicus, and later became Cardinal Bishop of Velletri. He was elected in 1058, his election having been arranged by the Count of Tusculum. However, a number of Cardinals alleged that the election was irregular, and that votes had been bought; these cardinals were forced to flee Rome. Hildebrand, later Pope Gregory VII, had been sent by the late Pope Stephen X to the court of Empress Agnes (mother and regent for Holy Roman Emperor Henry III, then a minor), who had questioned the validity of Stephen's election. When, on his return to Rome, he heard of Benedict's election, he decided to oppose it, and obtained the support of the Duke of Lorraine-Tuscany and Empress Agnes for the election of Gerhard of Burgundy, Bishop of Florence, as Pope instead. Those cardinals who had opposed Benedict's election met at Siena in December 1058, and elected Hildebrand's candidate as Pope, who then took the name Nicholas II. Events March 17 - King Lulach I of Scotland is killed in battle against his cousin and rival Malcolm Canmore, who later becomes King of Scotland as Malcolm III of Scotland. ... Events Anselm of Canterbury settles at the Benedictine monastery of Le Bec in Normandy. ... Events Cardinal Hildebrand elevated to papacy as Pope Gregory VII, succeeding Pope Alexander II Emperor Shirakawa ascends the throne of Japan Rabbi Yitchaki Alfassi finishes writing the Rif, an important work of Jewish law. ... Events William I of England, in a letter, reminds the Bishop of Rome that the King of England owes him no allegiance. ... Velletri (ancient Velitrae) is a commune in the province of Rome, in Lazio (Latium) It is bounded by other communes of Rocca di Papa Lariano, Cisterna di Latina, Artena, Aprilia, Nemi, Genzano di Roma, Lanuvio. ... Tusculum, an ancient city of Latium, situated in a commanding position on the north edge of the outer crater ring of the Alban volcano, 18 km (11 miles) north-east of the modern Frascati. ... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Left-Wing Democrats) Area  - City Proper  1290 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,823,807 almost 4,000,000 1... Gregory VII, né Hildebrand (c. ... Stephen X, né Frederick of Lorraine (d. ... Agnes de Poitou or Empress Agnes (1020-1077) was regent of the Holy Roman Empire from 1056 to 1068. ... Henry III, from a miniature of 1040 Henry III (October 29, 1017 – October 5, 1056), called the Black, was a member of the Salian (sometimes Franconian) dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors. ... The Duchy of Lorraine was an independent state for most of the period of time between 843 to 1739. ... Tuscany (Italian Toscana) is a region in central Italy, bordering on Latium to the south, Umbria and Marche to the east, Emilia-Romagna and Liguria to the north, and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west. ... Founded 59 BC as Florentia Region Tuscany Mayor Leonardo Domenici (Democratici di Sinistra) Area  - City Proper  102 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 356,000 almost 500,000 3,453/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Latitude Longitude 43°47 N 11°15 E www. ... This page is about Siena, Italy. ... Nicholas II, né Gérard de Bourgogne (died either July 19 or July 27, 1061), pope from December 1058 to July 1061, was at the time of his election Bishop of Florence. ...

Nicholas proceeded towards Rome, along the way holding a synod at Sutri, where he pronounced Benedict deposed and excommunicated. The supporters of Nicholas then gained control of Rome, and forced Benedict to flee to the castle of Gerard of Galeria. Having arrived in Rome, Nicholas then proceeded to wage war against Benedict and his supporters, with Norman assistance. An initial battle was fought in Campagna in early 1059, which was not wholly successful for Nicholas; but later that same year, his forces conquered Praeneste, Tusculum and Numentanum, and then attacked Galeria, forcing Benedict to surrender and renounce the Papacy. Sutri (ancient Sutrium), a town and episcopal see of Italy, in the province of Rome, is picturesquely situated on a narrow hill, surrounded by ravines, a narrow neck on the west alone connecting it with the surrounding country. ... The Normans (adapted from the name Northmen or Norsemen) were a mixture of the indigenous Gauls of France and the Viking invaders under the leadership of Rollo (Gange Rolf). ... Campania is a region of Southern Italy, bordering on Lazio to the north-west, Molise to the north, Puglia to the north-east, Basilicata to the east, and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west. ... Events Anselm of Canterbury settles at the Benedictine monastery of Le Bec in Normandy. ... This article deals with the ancient town, for the composer see: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Palestrina (ancient Praeneste) was and is a very ancient city of Latium (modern Lazio) 23 miles (37 km) east of Rome, and was reached by the Via Praenestina (see below). ...

Benedict was then allowed to go free, and he retired to one of his family estates; but Hildebrand then had him imprisoned in 1060 in the hospice of St. Agnese, where he died, still a prisoner, sometime around 1073 or 1080. Events May - The Norman leader Robert Guiscard conquers Taranto. ...

The most important consequence of the affair of Benedict X was the adoption of new laws on papal elections, at a synod hosted by Nicholas II in the Lateran Palace at Easter 1059. The Lateran Palace, sometimes more formally known as the Palace of the Lateran, is an ancient palace of the Roman Empire and later a Palace of the Popes. ... Easter is the most important religious holiday of the Christian liturgical year, observed in March, April, or May to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe occurred after his death by crucifixion in AD 30-33 (see Good Friday). ... Events Anselm of Canterbury settles at the Benedictine monastery of Le Bec in Normandy. ...

References

• The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Nicholas II", http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11055a.htm