Becoming reconciled to the people, the pope returned to Rome, and made his nephew Lodovico count of La Marca.

Innocent soon after died, and Gregory XII.
was created, upon the understanding to renounce the papacy whenever the anti-pope would also renounce it.

By the advice of the cardinals, in order to attempt the reunion of the church, Benedict, the anti-pope, came to Porto Venere, and Gregory to Lucca, where they made many endeavors, but effected nothing.

Upon this, the cardinals of both the popes abandoned them, Benedict going to Spain, and Gregory to Rimini.
On the other hand, the cardinals, with the favor of Balthazar Cossa, cardinal and legate of Bologna, appointed a council at Pisa, where they created Alexander V., who immediately excommunicated King Ladislaus, and invested Louis of Anjou with the kingdom; this prince, with the Florentines, Genoese, and Venetians, attacked Ladislaus and drove him from Rome.

In the head of the war Alexander died, and Balthazar Cossa succeeded him, with the title of John XXIII.