Pope Urban VI (c. 1318 – October 15, 1389), born Bartolomeo Prignano, was Pope from 1378 to 1389.
Born in Naples, he was a devout monk and learned casuist, trained at Avignon. On March 21, 1364, he was consecrated Archbishop of Acerenza in the Kingdom of Naples. He became archbishop of Bari in 1377, and, on the death of Pope Gregory XI (1370–78), the Roman populace clamorously demanding an Italian Pope, was unanimously chosen (April 8, 1378) by the French cardinals, taking the name Urban VI. He was the last Pope to be elected from outside the College of Cardinals.
The French were never particularly happy with this move, however, and began immediately to conspire against the Italian pope. Urban VI did himself no favors; he was considered arrogant and angry by many of his contemporaries. Five months afterward his election, the French cardinals met at Fondi, and, claiming that they had been cowed by the mob into electing an Italian, proceeded to elect Robert of Geneva (September 20). He took the title of Clement VII (1378–94). Thus began the Western Schism (1378–1417) which divided Catholic Christendom for nearly forty years.
Italian pope Clement VII was excommunicated by the French pope, and designated the Antichrist; twenty-six new cardinals were created in a single day, and by an arbitrary alienation of the estates and property of the church, funds were raised for open war.
The Castel Sant'Angelo was besieged and taken, and Clement VII forced to flee, while Charles of Durazzo was invested in the sovereignty of Naples, forfeited by Joan I of Naples (1343–82). Later, Charles began to resist the papal pretensions, and Urban VI was shut up in Nocera, from the walls of which he daily fulminated his anathemas against his besiegers; he afterwards succeeded in making his escape to Genoa, and on the death of Charles, set himself at the head of his troops, apparently with the intention of seizing Naples for his nephew if not for himself. To raise funds he proclaimed a Jubilee, though only thirty-three years had elapsed since that celebrated under Pope Clement VI (1342–52), but before the celebration he died at Rome of injuries caused by a fall from his mule, not without rumors of poisoning (CE). His successor was Pope Boniface IX (1389–1404).