claim, there being no attestation of this in any of the contemporary sources while on the other hand there is evidence that the see of Albenga was occupied by a certain Bishop Simon from 1230 until 1255. Innocent's immediate predecessor was Pope Celestine IV, elected on 25 October 1241, whose reign lasted a mere fifteen days. The events of Innocent IV's pontificate are therefore inextricably linked to the policies dominating the reigns of popes Innocent III, Honorius III and Gregory IX. At the time of his death, Gregory IX had been demanding the return of territories belonging to the Papal States and which had been seized by the Emperor Frederick II. In pursuit of this, the Pope had called a general council so he could depose the emperor with the support of Europe's Church leaders. However, in the hope of intimidating the Curia, Frederick had seized two cardinals traveling to the council. Being incarcerated, the two missed the conclave which quickly elected Celestine IV. The conclave that not long afterwards reconvened after Celestine's death fell into camps supporting contrasting policies about how to treat the Emperor. New pope, same emperor After a year and a half of contentious debate and coercion, the papal conclave finally reached a unanimous decision. The choice fell upon Cardinal Sinibaldo de' Fieschi, who very reluctantly accepted election as Pope on 25 June 1243, taking the name Innocent IV. As a cardinal, Sinibaldo had been on friendly terms with Frederick, even after the latter's excommunication. The Emperor also greatly admired the cardinal's wisdom, having enjoyed discussions with him from time to time. Following the election the witty Frederick remarked that he had lost the friendship of a cardinal but made up for it by gaining the enmity of a pope. His jest notwithstanding, Frederick's letter to the new pontiff was couched in respectful terms, offering Innocent congratulations and wishing him success, as also expressing hope for an amicable settlement of the differences between the empire and the papacy. Negotiations aimed at this objective began shortly afterwards, but proved unavailing. Innocent refused to back down from his demands, Frederick refused to acquiesce, and the dispute continued, its major point of contention being the restitution of Lombardy to the Patrimony of St Peter. The Emperor's machinations aroused a good deal of anti-papal feeling in Italy, particularly in the Papal States, and imperial agents encouraged plots against papal rule.