The length of papal conclaves has varied dramatically throughout history, ranging from just a few hours or days to several years.
- The longest conclave ever lasted nearly three years (1,006 days) from 1268 to 1271, held in Viterbo, Italy, due to deep divisions among cardinals and political factions
- Another notably long conclave lasted 51 days in 1831, the longest in the past 200 years
- In more recent times, conclaves have been much shorter, typically lasting only a few days. For example, the conclaves that elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 and Pope Francis in 2013 each lasted about two days
- The last conclave to exceed five days was in 1831, lasting 54 days
- There is no formal time limit; the conclave continues until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority of votes from the cardinals
In summary, while conclaves historically could last months or even years, modern conclaves typically conclude within a few days, often two or three.
