- Antipope Callixtus III
Antipope Callixtus III or Callistus III (died before
October 19 ,1183 [Ambrogio Piazzoni , Historia wyboru papieży, Wyd. M Kraków 2003, p. 171] ) wasAntipope from September1168 to29 August ,1178 .His real name was Giovanni, Abbot of
Struma . He was a strong and early supporter ofFrederick Barbarossa , and also supported Antipope Victor IV, who made him a cardinal-bishop of Albano .He was named successor to
Antipope Paschal III by a small number of schismatic cardinals. Callixtus was primarily a bargaining chip of Frederick to pressure Alexander III, and he had only limited geographical support. He resided inViterbo .Frederick, when it became politically expedient, after the defeat of Legnano, switched his backing to Alexander, in the
1177 Peace of Venice , abjuring his position on29 August ,1178 . Callixtus eventually accepted the situation, submitting to Alexander no pointin August 1178. After this he was named rector ofBenevento , where he died a few years later.There is also a pope with this name,
Pope Callixtus III .Notes
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