Shortly before his election to the papacy, Alberto founded a monastery in his hometown of Benevento. Pope On 21 October 1187, the day after the death of Urban III, Alberto di Morra, at that time Protopriest of the College of Cardinals, was elected pope (after Henry of Marcy had withdrawn his name from consideration), and took the name Gregory VIII in honour of Gregory VII. He was consecrated on 25 October. His previous dealings with Frederick Barbarossa put the church back in a friendly relationship with the Holy Roman Emperor. In response to the defeat of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem at the Battle of Hattin, Gregory issued the papal bull Audita tremendi calling for the Third Crusade. Gregory travelled to Pisa in order to end Pisan hostilities with Genoa so that both seaports and naval fleets could join together for the crusade. On the way to Pisa, he stopped at Lucca and ordered Antipope Victor IV's body to be removed from his tomb and his remains thrown out of the church., Death Gregory died in Pisa on 17 December 1187 of a fever after holding the papacy for only 57 days. He was buried in the Duomo in Pisa; the tomb and the papal remains were destroyed in the 1600 fire of the Cathedral. He was succeeded by Clement III. According to Joseph S. Brusher, "His pontificate though brief was glorious." See also List of popes October 1187 Papal election References Bibliography Brusher, Joseph S. Popes through the Ages. Delaney, John J., and James E. Tobin. Dictionary of Catholic Biography. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1961. Falconieri, Tommaso di Carpegna (2000). "Gregorio VIII". Enciclopedia dei Papi (Treccani 2000). , available at the Internet Archive here: Volume VI. (in German) Kelly, J. N. The Oxford Dictionary of Popes. New York: Oxford UP, 1986. Levillain, Philippe, ed. The Papacy: An Encyclopedia. New York: Routledge, 2002. Loughlin, James. "Pope Gregory VIII." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 7 December 2008. "Premonstratenisans/Norbertines A Look at out Way of Life." The International Website for the Order of Premontre. The Order of Premontre. 7 December 2008. 1100s births 1187 deaths People from Benevento Italian popes Christians of the Third Crusade Burials at Pisa Cathedral Premonstratensian popes Popes 12th-century popes