Papal election {{infobox popestyles
Pope Alexander VII died in 1667 and a conclave to choose his successor was called. King
Louis XIV of France instructed the French faction to turn their support to Rospigliosi and believed also that he would appease the Spanish faction of
Charles II due to the fact that he had once been the
Apostolic Nuncio to Spain. On 20 June 1667, he was elected as pontiff and took the pontifical name of "Clement IX". The new pope was
crowned on 26 June 1667 by the
protodeacon,
Cardinal Rinaldo d'Este. He later took possession of the
Basilica of Saint John Lateran on 3 July 1667. When asked about Rospigliosi becoming pope, Cardinal
Francesco Albizzi said: "Urban turned the Holy See into a bank; Innocent into a brothel; Alexander into a tavern; this one will make a playhouse of it". Albizzi also alluded to Rospigliosi's passion for music and said, "He will emasculate the Sacred College by giving the hat to all the castrated singers in Europe!" When elected, Rospigliosi received all but two votes since he voted for another while Cardinal
Neri Corsini voted for Cardinal
Flavio Chigi.
Actions Nothing remarkable occurred under Clement IX's short administration beyond the temporary adjustment of the disputes between the
Holy See and those prelates of the
Gallican Church who had refused to join in condemning the writings of
Jansen. He was
mediator during the 1668
peace of Aachen, in the wars between
France,
Spain,
England and the
Netherlands. He was popular with the people of Rome, not so much for his erudition and application to business as for his extreme charity and his affability towards great and small. He increased the goodwill of his subjects by buying off the monopolist who had secured the "macinato", or privilege of selling grain, and as his predecessor had collected the money for the purpose, Clement IX had the decree published in the name of Alexander VII. Two days each week, he occupied a confessional in
St. Peter's Basilica and heard anyone who wished to confess to him. He frequently visited the hospitals and was lavish in his alms to the poor. In an age of
nepotism, he did little or nothing to advance or enrich his family. In his aversion to notoriety, he refused to permit his name to be placed on the buildings erected during his reign.
Other actions Clement IX confirmed the cultus of
Margaret of Savoy on 9 October 1669. He also beatified
Rose of Lima on 15 April 1668. On 28 April 1668, he canonized
Magdalena de Pazzi and
Peter of Alcántara. He elevated 12 new cardinals in three consistories; this included Emilio Bonaventura Altieri who would succeed him as
Pope Clement X.
Art reforms As pope, Clement IX continued his interest in the arts. He embellished the city of Rome with famous works commissioned from
Gian Lorenzo Bernini, including the angels of
Ponte Sant'Angelo and the
colonnade of
Saint Peter's Basilica. Somewhat unusually for Popes of the era, Clement IX did not have his name displayed on monuments he built. For the
Carnival celebrations of 1668, commissioned
Antonio Maria Abbatini of the
Sistine Chapel Choir to set to music his free
Italian translation of a
Spanish religious drama
La Baltasara, the production had sets designed by Bernini.
Defence against the Turks Clement IX worked to strengthen
Venetian defences against the
Turks on the island of
Crete. However, he was unable to get wider support for this cause. At the end of October 1669, Clement IX fell ill after receiving news that the Venetian fortress of
Candia in Crete had
surrendered to the Turks. ==Death and burial==