What was the shortest conclave in history? The shortest conclave in known history lasted just 10 hours and ended with the election of Pope Julius II in 1503.

The quickest conclave observing the 10-day wait rule appears to have been the 1503 election of Pope Julius II, who was elected in just a few hours, according to Vatican historian Ambrogio Piazzoni.

In this case, it took only two days for Catholic cardinals to elect a successor to Pope Francis. That’s among the shortest conclaves in recent decades, but not the shortest ever.

For nearly 180 years, papal conclaves have chosen a new pope in three to five days. In centuries past, they've taken a lot longer.

Pope Julius II was elected the new leader after a conclave that lasted for only a few hours, according to officials.

However, a later pontiff, Pope Julius II, commissioned works by Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling and vaults depicting scenes from Genesis, including The Creation of Adam, between 1508 and 1512.

Swiss soldiers had already been picked to guard the pope in 1506 by Pope Julius II, known as the “Warrior Pope.” He chose them because the Swiss were renowned fighters throughout Europe then.

The quickest conclave observing the 10-day wait rule appears to have been the 1503 election of Pope Julius II, who was elected in just a few hours, according to Vatican historian Ambrogio Piazzoni.

However, a later pontiff, Pope Julius II, commissioned works by Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling and vaults depicting scenes from Genesis, including The Creation of Adam, between 1508 and 1512.

What was the shortest conclave in history? Shortest papal conclave The shortest conclave was 10 hours and ended with the election of Pope Julius II in 1503.

The quickest conclave observing the 10-day wait rule appears to have been the 1503 election of Pope Julius II, who was elected in just a few hours, according to Vatican historian Ambrogio Piazzoni.

The quickest conclave observing the 10-day wait rule appears to have been the 1503 election of Pope Julius II, who was elected in just a few hours, according to Vatican historian Ambrogio Piazzoni.