Election of Gregory XIII

Pope Pius V died on 1 May 1572, requiring the College of Cardinals to choose his successor. The conclave met in Rome later that month amid the religious and diplomatic tensions created by the Reformation and the struggle between Catholic and Protestant powers.

The cardinals elected Ugo Boncompagni, who took the name Gregory XIII. His pontificate would later become associated with Catholic reform, support for missions and the calendar reform that bears his name.

Steven Veerapen’s The Last Judgement places the fictional Jack and Amy Cole inside the Vatican during the conclave. The papal transition is historical; the murders, secret factions and intelligence mission are fictional.