Valerio Ferme
ITAL4160
Rome, Eternal City
Handout of Papal Dates, etc.
Temporal Power Dates:
4th Century: endowments given to the popes in and around Rome, but also in Sicily, Sardinia, and other parts of the Italian mainland.
756 AD: Pepin the Short of France donated to Pope Stephen II the city and territories of Ravenna, as well as the Pentapolis (Ravenna, Ancona, Fano, Pesaro and Sinigallia), in exchange for being recognized as the rightful King of the Franks, and his support in the battle against the Longobards in Northern Italy)
774 AD: Charlemagne confirmed the donation of his father. Moreover, to give the papal claim to temporal power greater antiquity, the so-called Donation of Constantine to Pope Sylvester I, was forged. On this basis, later popes also claimed suzerainty over Naples, Sicily and Sardinia.
1115 AD: Countess Matilda of Tuscany left her territories to the Church,
precipitating the struggle against the German Holy Roman Emperors.
The Popes who made a difference later:
Gregory IX (1228-1241):
84 when he became pope. Used his spiritual power to excommunicate Frederick II for not going to the crusades (1227) and obtain money and allegiance from him… and signed a treaty with him in 1230 upon return from Syria; then excommunicated him again in 1239. Was engaged in wars throughout the Italian peninsula in the 1240.
Clement IV (1265-1268):
Called Charles of Anjou to Italy to defeat Frederick’s son, Manfred. In Benevento, near Naples, in 1266 that’s exactly what happened, and Charles became king of Naples and Sicily.
Clement V (1305-1314):
French pope, deserted Rome for France, starting the Avignon Papacy period (1308-1377-78). Was completely subjected to the French King, and had trouble controlling the Papacy’s land holdings in Italy from a distance, promoting the independence of Italian cities during that time.
Gregory XI (1371-1378):
The pope that returned the
papacy to Rome. However, this
return precipitated the Great Schism (1378-1417). There were two or even three
rival popes at a time (in later determination of true succession, those
claimants ruled out of the succession are called antipopes). The schism ended
in the Council of Constance, which reestablished the primacy of the Roman Pope.
15th-century Popes:
No 15th-century pope was prepared to
attempt serious reform, which would have required challenging the vested
interests of bishops, cardinals, and princes. Indeed, in the 15th cent. the
papal court made Rome a brilliant Renaissance capital, enriched by some of the
finest art of the West. The Renaissance popes, however, were little
distinguished from other princes in the extravagance and immorality of their
courts. That’s when things started to change in the Roman territory.
Alexander VI
(1492-1503):
Born in Spain, nephew of Pope Callixtus
III. Not very religious man at all, had 6 children, including the infamous
Cesare (Machiavelli’s “Prince”) and Lucrezia (who supposedly
poisoned a few husbands and slept around quite a bit). Let his son take control
of his territories, which returned, finally, under the Pope’s temporal control.
Also known for his liberality and artistic generosity. To him are attributable
new architectonic marvels such as the Tempietto on St Peter’s martyrdom site
(Bramante), and the beautiful cealing of Santa Maria Maggiore, said to have
used the first gold brought from America by Columbus.
Julius II (1503-1513):
60 when elected, died at 70. Julius II
was chiefly a soldier (led his army into battle), and the fame attached
to his name is greatly due to his re-establishment of the Pontifical States and
the deliverance of Italy from its subjection to France. Still he did not forget
his duties as the spiritual head of the Church. He was free from nepotism;
heard Mass almost daily and often celebrated it himself; issued a strict Bull
against simony at papal elections and another against duels. Was also one of the greatest benefactors
of the arts. Bramante,
Raphael, and Michelangelo gave to the world some of their greatest
masterpieces while in his service. He laid the cornerstone of the gigantic
Basilica of St. Peter on 18 April, 1506, and conceived the idea of uniting the
Vatican with the Belvedere, engaging Bramante to accomplish the project. The
famous frescoes of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel and of Raphael in the
Stanze, the Court of St. Damasus with its loggias, the Via Giulia and Via della
Lungara, the colossal statue of Moses which graces the mausoleum of Julius II
in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, and many other magnificent works in and
out of Rome are lasting witnesses of his great love of art.
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What is clear is that the Papacy is NOT during the Middle Ages a site of calm power. It meddles in politics… thus setting itself up for extensive intrusion into the political life not only of Italy, but of the Western World itself.