The Papacy and Communication in the Central Middle Ages

This book explores papal communication and its reception in the central Middle Ages, focusing on the visual, ritual, and spatial communication that visitors encountered when they met the peripatetic papal curia. It also examines the role of gifts and texts in relation to papal communication and emphasizes the plurality of responses to papal messages by different audiences.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 134 pages
Publication date: 25 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive volume delves into the intricate realm of papal communication and its reception during the captivating period spanning c.1100 to 1300. It offers a diverse array of interdisciplinary approaches and fresh perspectives, shedding light on the construction of papal authority and the local interpretations of papal power in the central Middle Ages. Within its pages, the book explores various facets of papal communication, including visual, ritual, and spatial interactions that visitors encountered when encountering the mobile papal curia in Rome or other locations. These chapters analyze how these encounters shaped visitors' perceptions of papal self-representation. Furthermore, the essays delve into the analysis of papal clothing, iconography, architecture, and spatial utilization in papal palaces and the titular churches of Rome. Additionally, the book explores the dynamics of long-distance communication, examining the role of gifts and texts, such as letters, sermons, and historical writings, in papal communication.

A significant aspect of this work is its recognition of the diverse range of responses to papal communication by engaging with the reception of papal messages by different audiences, both secular and ecclesiastical, across various geographic regions, including England, France, Ireland, Italy, and Switzerland. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Medieval History, further contributing to the scholarly discourse on this captivating period of history.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367684389