I am a CEEC Individual researcher at Centro de Investigação Transdisciplinar Cultura, Espaço e Memória (CITCEM-UP) - Universidade do Porto, working on the project "The Pope’s men. Papal legates, judges delegate, and representatives in the Iberian Peninsula (XI-XIII centuries)"
Boydell & Brewer - Studies in the History of Medieval Religion, 2023
The papacy of Honorius II (1124-1130) has often been overlooked by historians, usually considered... more The papacy of Honorius II (1124-1130) has often been overlooked by historians, usually considered uneventful, transitional and colourless. This book offers a complete reappraisal, drawing on a detailed examination of the surviving letters produced by the papal chancery to show that conversely, it was a vital and innovative pontificate. It argues that during what was a stabilising period for the papacy in an era of peace, Honorius and the chancery were able to enact the instruments and ecclesiological claims dictated by external threats and produced during previous papacies. In particular, it shows that by adapting the content and form of the letters it issued, Honorius's chancery, led by the official Haimeric, played a decisive role in extending the ecclesiological thinking of the papacy. Furthermore, these years paved the way for ideas which were further developed later in the twelfth century, especially the arguments created by the warring parties in the Schism of 1130 to legitimise their respective popes. This study thus presents a different view of Honorius' administration, highlighting the strategies to which the papacy turned in order both to govern ecclesiastical institutions and to deal with secular matters, when previous protocols and routines could no longer be relied upon.
Conflict and Violence in Medieval Italy 568-1154, C. Heath and R. Houghton eds. (Amsterdam University Press), 2022
The aim of this essay is to illustrate how and why the election of Pope Honorius II (1124-1130) w... more The aim of this essay is to illustrate how and why the election of Pope Honorius II (1124-1130) was depicted in two opposing versions, each focusing on elements not found in the other. From Cardinal Deusdedit’s letter dated early 1125, it seems nothing worth mentioning happened during the election. Cardinal Pandulf’s account included in the Liber Pontificalis in the Tortosa manuscript, written between 1133 and 1138, on the other hand, shows lay violence playing a significant role. The essay will consider the extent to which Pandulf’s involvement in the schism following the death of Honorius and his support for Anacletus II played a part in his hostility towards the dead pope and why, arguing that Pandulf’s text represented an attack on the election of Innocent II, Anacletus’s rival.
The aim of this work is to analyse the relationship between the Apostolic See and the Crown of Aragon during the papacy of Honorius III. While the idea of a feudal link between Aragon and the papacy has already been questioned by Johannes Fried, a letter sent from Honorius's chancery in 1222 seems to show how the pope might have reframed this relation at some point during his papacy, explicitly highlighting the idea of King James I as a vassallus of the Roman Church. Tackling this document from an ecclesiological perspective and reading it in light of the context in which it was produced, this article considers the reasons for the change of interpretation by Honorius and the consequences for Aragon and for the papacy .
In 1130, Rome was shaken by the elections of two popes: Innocent II and Anacletus II. The double ... more In 1130, Rome was shaken by the elections of two popes: Innocent II and Anacletus II. The double election resulted in a schism on a European scale that lasted until the death of Anacletus in 1138. The abbey of Montecassino initially placed itself among the Anacletians but changed sides in 1137. This article analyses the Altercatio pro cenobio Casinensi, a work written by Peter the Deacon, a Cassinese monk, describing the negotiations eventually leading to Montecassino's support for Innocent. The Altercatio will prove to be an attack on Roman primacy and a defence of the libertas and autonomy of Montecassino, stressing its link with the emperor and developing an ecclesiology rivalling that produced in Rome.
The aim of this essay is to offer a historical excursus of both the events and of the most recent international historiographical acquisitions over one of the most important topics of Middle Ages: the so-called "Gregorian Reform". This concept has been much debated in the last decades by scholars, in order to understand better the multiple implications occurred in Western Europe resulting from the transformation of the Roman Church structure since the eleventh century. The picture emerging from both sources and historical research, however, is very different from the traditional image of Gregory VII and his Reform, revealing, on the contrary, a plural, complex and various context that deeply affected the relations between Rome and the Church in the eleventh and twelfth century.
Libertas. Secoli X-XIII. Le Settimane Internazionali della Mendola, Nuova serie, 6, N. D'Acunto and E. Filippini eds. (Milan, 2019), pp. 345-354., 2019
This essay illustrates how the Investiture contest was depicted in the Chronica Monasterii Casine... more This essay illustrates how the Investiture contest was depicted in the Chronica Monasterii Casinensis, the official history of Montecassino. It will be argued that the ex post facto context in which this source was produced (the first half of the twelfth century) had a considerable influence on the way the struggle between regnum and sacerdotium was presented and how it was re-thought
This article considers the idea of the Church adopted by the papacy of Honorius II (1124-1130), a... more This article considers the idea of the Church adopted by the papacy of Honorius II (1124-1130), a pontificate hitherto overlooked by most historians. The main sources, examined with a particular focus on language and context, are the extant letters produced by the papal chan-cery, which present the official Roman view. Through the analysis of the papacy's theoretical assertions of primacy over the whole Church and the innovations of the chancery led by Haimeric (1123-1141), this work argues that this pontificate added a degree of novelty to ideas already in use but also made new and stronger claims for the papal office. The image emerging from this analysis frames Honorius's papacy more effectively, overturning the idea of a transitional and colourless pope. This was a vital pontificate, during which some significant innovations and claims were made.
Un abate, un monastero, un Crocifisso. Ponzio di Melgueil da Cluny a Campus Sion, Atti del convegno (Bassano del Grappa, 2 Giugno 2018), a cura di Marco Ferrero, Vicenza, Scriptorium, 2019
The article focuses on the roles played by "minor" characters in the fall of Pontius of Melgueil.
I Simposio Internacional de Estudios Medievales - Ficciones políticas en la Edad Media y la Moder... more I Simposio Internacional de Estudios Medievales - Ficciones políticas en la Edad Media y la Modernidad temprana (Universidad Nacional de San Juan; Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Universidad de la Laguna)
Boydell & Brewer - Studies in the History of Medieval Religion, 2023
The papacy of Honorius II (1124-1130) has often been overlooked by historians, usually considered... more The papacy of Honorius II (1124-1130) has often been overlooked by historians, usually considered uneventful, transitional and colourless. This book offers a complete reappraisal, drawing on a detailed examination of the surviving letters produced by the papal chancery to show that conversely, it was a vital and innovative pontificate. It argues that during what was a stabilising period for the papacy in an era of peace, Honorius and the chancery were able to enact the instruments and ecclesiological claims dictated by external threats and produced during previous papacies. In particular, it shows that by adapting the content and form of the letters it issued, Honorius's chancery, led by the official Haimeric, played a decisive role in extending the ecclesiological thinking of the papacy. Furthermore, these years paved the way for ideas which were further developed later in the twelfth century, especially the arguments created by the warring parties in the Schism of 1130 to legitimise their respective popes. This study thus presents a different view of Honorius' administration, highlighting the strategies to which the papacy turned in order both to govern ecclesiastical institutions and to deal with secular matters, when previous protocols and routines could no longer be relied upon.
Conflict and Violence in Medieval Italy 568-1154, C. Heath and R. Houghton eds. (Amsterdam University Press), 2022
The aim of this essay is to illustrate how and why the election of Pope Honorius II (1124-1130) w... more The aim of this essay is to illustrate how and why the election of Pope Honorius II (1124-1130) was depicted in two opposing versions, each focusing on elements not found in the other. From Cardinal Deusdedit’s letter dated early 1125, it seems nothing worth mentioning happened during the election. Cardinal Pandulf’s account included in the Liber Pontificalis in the Tortosa manuscript, written between 1133 and 1138, on the other hand, shows lay violence playing a significant role. The essay will consider the extent to which Pandulf’s involvement in the schism following the death of Honorius and his support for Anacletus II played a part in his hostility towards the dead pope and why, arguing that Pandulf’s text represented an attack on the election of Innocent II, Anacletus’s rival.
The aim of this work is to analyse the relationship between the Apostolic See and the Crown of Aragon during the papacy of Honorius III. While the idea of a feudal link between Aragon and the papacy has already been questioned by Johannes Fried, a letter sent from Honorius's chancery in 1222 seems to show how the pope might have reframed this relation at some point during his papacy, explicitly highlighting the idea of King James I as a vassallus of the Roman Church. Tackling this document from an ecclesiological perspective and reading it in light of the context in which it was produced, this article considers the reasons for the change of interpretation by Honorius and the consequences for Aragon and for the papacy .
In 1130, Rome was shaken by the elections of two popes: Innocent II and Anacletus II. The double ... more In 1130, Rome was shaken by the elections of two popes: Innocent II and Anacletus II. The double election resulted in a schism on a European scale that lasted until the death of Anacletus in 1138. The abbey of Montecassino initially placed itself among the Anacletians but changed sides in 1137. This article analyses the Altercatio pro cenobio Casinensi, a work written by Peter the Deacon, a Cassinese monk, describing the negotiations eventually leading to Montecassino's support for Innocent. The Altercatio will prove to be an attack on Roman primacy and a defence of the libertas and autonomy of Montecassino, stressing its link with the emperor and developing an ecclesiology rivalling that produced in Rome.
The aim of this essay is to offer a historical excursus of both the events and of the most recent international historiographical acquisitions over one of the most important topics of Middle Ages: the so-called "Gregorian Reform". This concept has been much debated in the last decades by scholars, in order to understand better the multiple implications occurred in Western Europe resulting from the transformation of the Roman Church structure since the eleventh century. The picture emerging from both sources and historical research, however, is very different from the traditional image of Gregory VII and his Reform, revealing, on the contrary, a plural, complex and various context that deeply affected the relations between Rome and the Church in the eleventh and twelfth century.
Libertas. Secoli X-XIII. Le Settimane Internazionali della Mendola, Nuova serie, 6, N. D'Acunto and E. Filippini eds. (Milan, 2019), pp. 345-354., 2019
This essay illustrates how the Investiture contest was depicted in the Chronica Monasterii Casine... more This essay illustrates how the Investiture contest was depicted in the Chronica Monasterii Casinensis, the official history of Montecassino. It will be argued that the ex post facto context in which this source was produced (the first half of the twelfth century) had a considerable influence on the way the struggle between regnum and sacerdotium was presented and how it was re-thought
This article considers the idea of the Church adopted by the papacy of Honorius II (1124-1130), a... more This article considers the idea of the Church adopted by the papacy of Honorius II (1124-1130), a pontificate hitherto overlooked by most historians. The main sources, examined with a particular focus on language and context, are the extant letters produced by the papal chan-cery, which present the official Roman view. Through the analysis of the papacy's theoretical assertions of primacy over the whole Church and the innovations of the chancery led by Haimeric (1123-1141), this work argues that this pontificate added a degree of novelty to ideas already in use but also made new and stronger claims for the papal office. The image emerging from this analysis frames Honorius's papacy more effectively, overturning the idea of a transitional and colourless pope. This was a vital pontificate, during which some significant innovations and claims were made.
Un abate, un monastero, un Crocifisso. Ponzio di Melgueil da Cluny a Campus Sion, Atti del convegno (Bassano del Grappa, 2 Giugno 2018), a cura di Marco Ferrero, Vicenza, Scriptorium, 2019
The article focuses on the roles played by "minor" characters in the fall of Pontius of Melgueil.
I Simposio Internacional de Estudios Medievales - Ficciones políticas en la Edad Media y la Moder... more I Simposio Internacional de Estudios Medievales - Ficciones políticas en la Edad Media y la Modernidad temprana (Universidad Nacional de San Juan; Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Universidad de la Laguna)
La Rivoluzione Gregoriana. La riforma che ha cambiato il volto della Chiesa. Pontificia Universit... more La Rivoluzione Gregoriana. La riforma che ha cambiato il volto della Chiesa. Pontificia Università della Santa Croce - Seminario Permanente
These three panels interrogate the reality of movement and mobility in the Middle Ages adopting a... more These three panels interrogate the reality of movement and mobility in the Middle Ages adopting a longue durée perspective. Considering both a wide range of source material and immediate contexts, the panels are designed to allow discussion between and across both chronological and geographical boundaries but at the same time permit detailed consideration of specific localities and contexts. How did individuals on the ground perceive and understand movement in the Mediterranean world? What does this tell us about the responses of both societies and individuals to those who moved through and between the spheres of a multidimensional Mediterranean? These are the key questions which these three panels will approach and discuss
Session ii: Wednesday 6th July 2016 11:15-12:45 Moderator: Giacomo Vignodelli (Bologna) Giacomo.v... more Session ii: Wednesday 6th July 2016 11:15-12:45 Moderator: Giacomo Vignodelli (Bologna) Giacomo.vignodelli2@unibo.it Paper I: Edoardo Manarini (Torino) Sex, denigration and violence: a representation of political competition between two aristocratic kinships in IXth-century Italy. emanarin@unito.it
Seven papers on the subject of Disorder and Violence in Medieval Italy to be delivered at IMC 201... more Seven papers on the subject of Disorder and Violence in Medieval Italy to be delivered at IMC 2016 on Wednesday 6th July 2016, sessions to be moderated by Roberta Cimino (Nottingham) and Giacomo Vignodelli (Bologna).
The aim of this conference is to analyse the relations between the Apostolic See and the new poli... more The aim of this conference is to analyse the relations between the Apostolic See and the new political realities emerging in Europe in the first half of the twelfth century. The idea is to tackle the so-called "peripheries" through the often-overlooked point of view of Rome and to consider both the centre (the Apostolic See) and these kingdoms as "works in progress", always looking for opportunities to be acknowledged. This approach will also help in highlighting how external institutions contributed to the elaboration of the Roman primacy. This conference will be part of the project The Pope's men. Papal legates, judges delegate, and representatives in the Iberian Peninsula (XI-XIII centuries), FCT 2022.00422.CEECIND.
Uploads
This study thus presents a different view of Honorius' administration, highlighting the strategies to which the papacy turned in order both to govern ecclesiastical institutions and to deal with secular matters, when previous protocols and routines could no longer be relied upon.
The aim of this work is to analyse the relationship between the Apostolic See and the Crown of Aragon during the papacy of Honorius III. While the idea of a feudal link between Aragon and the papacy has already been questioned by Johannes Fried, a letter sent from Honorius's chancery in 1222 seems to show how the pope might have reframed this relation at some point during his papacy, explicitly highlighting the idea of King James I as a vassallus of the Roman Church. Tackling this document from an ecclesiological perspective and reading it in light of the context in which it was produced, this article considers the reasons for the change of interpretation by Honorius and the consequences for Aragon and for the papacy .
The aim of this essay is to offer a historical excursus of both the events and of the most recent international historiographical acquisitions over one of the most important topics of Middle Ages: the so-called "Gregorian Reform". This concept has been much debated in the last decades by scholars, in order to understand better the multiple implications occurred in Western Europe resulting from the transformation of the Roman Church structure since the eleventh century. The picture emerging from both sources and historical research, however, is very different from the traditional image of Gregory VII and his Reform, revealing, on the contrary, a plural, complex and various context that deeply affected the relations between Rome and the Church in the eleventh and twelfth century.
This study thus presents a different view of Honorius' administration, highlighting the strategies to which the papacy turned in order both to govern ecclesiastical institutions and to deal with secular matters, when previous protocols and routines could no longer be relied upon.
The aim of this work is to analyse the relationship between the Apostolic See and the Crown of Aragon during the papacy of Honorius III. While the idea of a feudal link between Aragon and the papacy has already been questioned by Johannes Fried, a letter sent from Honorius's chancery in 1222 seems to show how the pope might have reframed this relation at some point during his papacy, explicitly highlighting the idea of King James I as a vassallus of the Roman Church. Tackling this document from an ecclesiological perspective and reading it in light of the context in which it was produced, this article considers the reasons for the change of interpretation by Honorius and the consequences for Aragon and for the papacy .
The aim of this essay is to offer a historical excursus of both the events and of the most recent international historiographical acquisitions over one of the most important topics of Middle Ages: the so-called "Gregorian Reform". This concept has been much debated in the last decades by scholars, in order to understand better the multiple implications occurred in Western Europe resulting from the transformation of the Roman Church structure since the eleventh century. The picture emerging from both sources and historical research, however, is very different from the traditional image of Gregory VII and his Reform, revealing, on the contrary, a plural, complex and various context that deeply affected the relations between Rome and the Church in the eleventh and twelfth century.
This conference will be part of the project The Pope's men. Papal legates, judges delegate, and representatives in the Iberian Peninsula (XI-XIII centuries), FCT 2022.00422.CEECIND.