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.

I vescovi dimenticati. Memoria e oblio dei vescovi fiorentini e fiesolani dell’età pre-gregoriana / Faini, Enrico. - In: ANNALI DI STORIA DI FIRENZE. - ISSN 1827-6946. - STAMPA. - VIII (2013):(2013), pp. 11-49.

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

FAINI, ENRICO
2013

Abstract

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.
2013
VIII (2013)
11
49
Faini, Enrico
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Faini-I vescovi dimenticati.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Pdf editoriale (Version of record)
Licenza: Open Access
Dimensione 222.49 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
222.49 kB Adobe PDF

I documenti in FLORE sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/1060371
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact