I vescovi dimenticati. Memoria e oblio dei vescovi fiorentini e fiesolani dell’età pre-gregoriana

Over the 10th and 11th centuries, the dioceses of Florence and Fiesole were governed by important bishops. Their charisma and political power, however, did not prevent them being consigned to obscurity. This paper describes how and why this came about, presenting an analysis of clues found in several texts written by the reformers (Saint Peter Damian's letters, Saint John Gualbert's life). It appears that the authority of the bishops was undermined by the rivalry between two influential religious communities close to the Episcopate – the monastery of San Miniato al Monte and the Florentine cathedral chapter – that came to the fore at about the same time. A powerful Florentine family (the Visdomini) and a group of John Gualbert’s monastic followers took advantage of this conflict, and while the bishops were busy calming the waters between the canons and monks, the Visdomini rose to political prominence and John Gualbert’s fortunes were favoured on the spiritual plane.