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'Pope Urban III' (died
October 20,
1187), born 'Uberto Crivelli', was
Pope from
1185 to 1187. He was made
cardinal and
archbishop of Milan by
Pope Lucius III (1181–85), whom he succeeded on (
December 1, 1185). He vigorously took up his predecessor's quarrels with the Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa (1152–90), including the standing dispute about the succession of territories of the countess
Matilda of Tuscany. Even after his elevation to the
Papacy he continued to hold the archbishopric of Milan, and in this capacity refused to crown as King of Italy Frederick I's son Prince
Henry, who had married
Constantia, the heiress of the
kingdom of Sicily. While Henry in the south cooperated with the rebel
senate of Rome, Frederick I in the north blocked the passes of the
Alps and cut off all communication between the Pope, then living in
Verona, and his German adherents. Urban III now resolved on
excommunicating Frederick I, but the Veronese protested against such a proceeding being resorted to within their walls; he accordingly withdrew to
Ferrara, but died before he could give effect to his intentions. His successor was
Gregory VIII (1187).
According to legend, he died of grief upon hearing news of the
Crusader defeat in July of 1187 at the
Battle of Hattin.

Pope Urban III
''from the 9th edition (1880) of an unnnamed encyclopedia''