The cardinals present at Rome assembled in the Septizodium[1] on the next day after the death of Honorius III and decided to elect the new Pope by compromissum, meaning not by the whole Sacred College of Cardinals but by the committee of few of them, empowered by the rest to appoint the new Pontiff.

The committee numbered three cardinals, among whom were cardinal-bishops Ugolino di Segni of Ostia and Konrad von Urach of Porto (the name of the third one is not registered).

Initially the committee elected its member Konrad von Urach with two votes out three, but he refused the tiara.

Hereupon the rest of cardinals unanimously elected Ugolino di Segni (another committee member) on 19 March 1227.

He reluctantly accepted the high honour, taking the name of Gregory IX.