Who was Nicholas V, the antipope supported by Louis IV?
Nicholas V (born Pietro Rainalducci) was a Franciscan monk who served as the last imperial antipope from May 1328 to August 1330.1
His election occurred in Rome during a period of intense conflict between the Holy Roman emperor Louis IV and Pope John XXII, who had excommunicated the emperor. Following Louis IV's coronation in Rome by lay representatives, an assembly of priests and laymen influenced by the emperor elected Rainalducci as Nicholas V to rival John XXII’s pontificate at Avignon.12
Nicholas V’s claim to the papacy lacked significant support and was ultimately unsuccessful. After being excommunicated by John XXII in 1329, he renounced his title in 1330 under the assurance of a pardon. He spent the remainder of his life in honorable imprisonment within the papal palace until his death in 1333.1