The papal conclave that elected Pope Francis in 2013 lasted two days, from March 12 to March 13, 2013. The cardinals conducted five rounds of voting-one on the first day and four on the second-before reaching a decision
. Historically, recent papal conclaves have been relatively short, typically lasting from two to five days. For example, the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI also lasted two days
. In contrast, the longest conclave in history lasted nearly three years (1,006 days) from 1268 to 1271, when cardinals were locked in seclusion in Viterbo, Italy, to elect Pope Gregory X
. However, such lengthy conclaves are rare, and modern conclaves are usually resolved within a few days.
