 The majority chose Pope Alexander III, while the minority, supported by the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, chose Victor IV.In a letter of 26 September 1159 from his refuge in Terracina, Pope Alexander wrote to Archbishop Syrus of Genoa and his suffragans his own version of what had happened.On 13 December he wrote again to bishops in northern Italy, including those of Liguria, telling them that Victor had had himself crowned pope.