Antipope Boniface VII - Death of Boniface VII

Death of Boniface VII

Little is known of the reign of Boniface VII, however, on July 20, 985, he suddenly died. It is possible that he was murdered, but it cannot be confirmed by any known sources. It is clear that there was certainly a sense from the public of disgust at his reign, as his body was dragged through the streets, stripped naked until it was left beneath Marcus Aurelius’s statue in front of the Lateran Palace. There were undoubtedly many atrocities that Boniface committed in the eleven months he was in power in 984–985, most of which were probably acts of revenge due to his previous exile. It is obvious he had become a stranger to the Roman people, and had most likely even become an inconvenience to his own followers. He was referred to as “Malefatius” instead of Bonifatius, and also “horrendum monstrum” by many, showing the turn of feelings the people of Rome had had. The Nationalist faction, previously headed by Crescentius and now headed by his two sons, that had helped him rise to his papal status was now not so much Byzantine as it was national-Roman. They likely overthrew Boniface VII in hopes of seizing control of vulnerable Rome. After a reign spanning eleven years, in which he overthrew two popes, allowing both to die in Castel Sant’Angelo, Boniface VII was finally dead.