Italian Politics: The Papal States

 

Bibliography: Jacob Burckhardt, The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, (1929, 1st English edition).

 Charles L. Stinger The Renaissance in Rome (Indiana UP, 1998). Brian Tierney, Western Europe in the Middle Ages

(McGraw Hill, 1998)

 

I Major themes in Italian Politics

            1) Contado vs. City

            2) Growth of major powers

            3) republics vs. tyrannies

            4) Papal politics: Pope always wanted to make sure no one Italian power

                        Could attain hegemony

            5) Interest of foreign nations

II) Rome

            A) 14th Century Papacy

                        1) The Move to Avignon

                                    a) 1294 election of Celestine V (hermit)

                                    b)1295  Benedict Gaetani becomes Pope Boniface VIII

                                            wars with the Colonna (Colonna and Orsini [columns and bears])

                                    c) 1296 issues Clericis Laicis forbids clergy from paying taxes w/o papal consent

                                            sparks dispute with Philip IV of France who bans the export of gold and silver to Rome

                                            Boniface backs down (for now)

                                    d) 1301 trial of Bernard Saisset; 1303 excommunicates Philip IV

                                     e) issues Unam Sanctum  (William de Nogaret)

f) June 1305 elect Bertrand de Got Clement V

    moves to Avignon, appoints 28 cardinals 25 were French

2) Papacy in Avignon (disputes  with emperor and Franciscans which spurs philosophers to question Papal supremacy)

            a) papal bureaucracy grows:

                        Roman rota: juridical work

                        Chancery: correspondence, granting favors licenses

                        Papal penitentiary: dispensations

                        Papal Chamber: money

                                    Gained revenue through indulgences,

                                    Patronage

                                    Caused pluralism and absenteeism

3) Catherine of Siena 1376 noted mystic travels to Avignon,

    Pope Gregory XI listens to her goes back to Rome in 1377

4) 1378 election of Urban VI an (or at least an Italian) elect Urban VI an Italian

5) The actions of Urban VI

5) Election of Clement VII the great schism

            B) The Restoration of Papal unity

                        1) 1409 general council called by cardinals who abandoned both popes

                                    Claim both popes to have forfeited their claims, elect Alexander V.

                                    3 Popes.

                        2) 1414 new Council of Constance

            C) The Return of the Papacy to Rome

            D) Papal politics

                        1) The condition of the Papal states at the time of Martin V

                                    See Map p. 100 in Stinger

2) Martin V comes to Rome September 1420

3) Eugenius IV 1431-1447 Gabriele Condulmar

a) war with Colonna, condottieri comes in Eugenius flees to Bologna

b) trouble with council of Basil

c) Meeting with Greek Orthodox Church enhances his authority

d) 1444 failure of Crusade of Varna

4) Nicholas V( 1447-1455)

    a) humanist Pope

    b) compromise candidate

    c) Republican challenge of Stefano Porcari

    d) Italy becomes more orderly b/c other territories becoming stronger

        fear of Ottomans (Constantinople 1453) encourages major powers to sign

5) Sixtus IV (1471-1484)

            ---Leader of Franciscans

            ---mercenary armies cost 60% of temporal revenues

            ---celebrated warrior cardina’ Malatesta’s victories over Naples

            ---Girolamo Riario nephew involvement with the Pazzi conspiracy

6) Alexander VI (1492-1503)

Titian. Pope Alexander VI Presenting Jacopo Pesaro to Saint Peter.

         a) election

        b) familiar politics: Lucrezia Borgia

                                    Cesare Borgia 

         The marriages of Lucrezia Borgia Alexander’s daughter

        c) French invasion led by Charles VIII 1494 and 1498 by Louis XII

                Initial success Charles reaches Rome by 1495 and invade Naples

                Aragon, Venice, Milan and the Pope join against Charles VIII

                Charles has to retreat (supply lines) loses baggage train

                Louis XII makes claims to Milan in 1498

                1500 conquers Milan

                1502 Treaty of Granada splits Naples between Ferdinand of Spain and Louis XII

                war breaks out

 

7) Julius II (1503-1515)

    League of Cambrai and Holy league successfully defeat the French and restores

    Medici to power in Florence, leads to conquest of Romagna

8) Leo X (1513-1521) Medici ascendancy

            E) Analysis of Popes

1) Why were they chosen (1417-1534: 15 pontiffs

a) Geography

            Adrian VI Dutch

2 Borgias Calixtus III and Alexander VI Spanish but long residing in Italy

12 Italians

2 Romans,

Ten northerners

b) spirituality (Nicholas V, Sixtus IV, Pius III, Leo X, Adrian VI)

c) Control the Papal States (Paul II, Alexander VI, Clement VII)

d) Families: Medici, Borgias, Della Rovere

2) Symbolic means to enhance authority

1) Dreams

2) Use of Names

            Nicholas V his patron

Sixtus IV saint day of his being chosen, revives the cult of  Sixtus II

Pius II (Sylvia Aeneus)

Julius II (Julius Ceasar)

Leo X see Art

3) Humanism see story Stinger, p. 90

4) Art

                                                Leo X and Raphael

                                                Stanza d’Elliodoro

                                    5) Crusade

                                                1) Fall of Constantinople 1453

                                                2) Otranto 1480