CHARLEMAGNE & CAROLINGIAN DYNASTY OF FRANKS
RISE OF ISLAM 7-8th C: 632 death of the prophet Mohamed:
conquer Syria then west, conquer
north Africa, Spain, raids into France
732 FRANCE: Battle of Tours/Poitiers (Loire Valley) defeat of Saracen raiding party
by CHARLES MARTEL: founder of CAROLINGIAN
dynasty of FRANKS
RISE OF THE CAROLINGIANS in Gaul
CLOVIS: King of Franks, baptized Catholic (not Arian); Pepin III recognized as Frankish ruler in 751:
FRANCO
- PAPAL ALLIANCE: Papal motives include
Lombard military threat: 751 Ravenna conquered
753 Lombards threaten Rome; no assistance from Byzantine Empire
754 Pope Steven II flees Lombards to Frankland, gives Pepin Imperial title
of patricius romanorum = Roman patrician: anoints Pepin & sons at St. Denis outside Paris
755 Franks defeat Lombards in Italy (Donation of Constantine possibly forged c. 750)
DONATION OF PEPIN gift to Papacy of Italian lands = lands in central Italy, Ravenna to Rome
called PATRIMONY OF ST. PETER, start of Papal States
CHARLEMAGNE
768-814 (son of Pepin III)
Warrior King: meets nobles each spring on "Field of Mars"
774 campaign in Italy, deposes last of Lombard Kings, takes title of "King of Franks & Lombards"
campaigns against Moslems, Avars, Saxons; by 800 all Europe except southern Italy, England
Franco Papal alliance: reinstates Pope Leo III after revolt by Roman nobility;
800 Christmas Day: crowned Emperor of Romans by Pope in Rome
Imperial ambitions: desire to rival Eastern Empire, to establish "New Rome" at Aachen;
Treaty of Aachen 812: Eastern Empire recognizes his title after initial resistance & military conflict
Carolingian Renaissance: scholars
at court
CAROLINGIAN
SUCCESSION: fragmentation of Charlemagne's Empire; grandsons divide Empire
843 TREATY OF VERDUN: settlement & division of Empire
Louis the German: Eastern third of Empire; Charles the Bald: Western third (later France)
MIDDLE KINGDOM OF LOTHAR: Imperial title, Italy, territory from Burgundy, Netherlands,
through Alsace, Lorraine, Switzerland, Italy - subordination of Italy to Frankish interests
RISE
OF ITALIAN COMMUNES IN 11-12TH C.
Republican city states: representative self-government
transfer of power from feudal ruler (Bishop, Counts)
COMMUNE: Italian for Latin res publica (public
thing) -elected representatives
association of free men collectively holding some public authority
CONSULS: permanent body of elected citizen executives
extension of authority over the contado (countryside)
Phases of the Italian commune:
11th C. Consular commune: dominated by noble families
Age of the Towers: built by noble families for urban warfare
12th C. Podesta: outsider (nobleman with law degree)
brought as executive for specific period (1-2 years)
12-13th C. Rise of the popolo: guild regimes
Factions in Italy: city states alligned either with Pope or Emperor
Guelfs (papacy) versus Ghibellines (Empire)
REPUBLICAN GUILD
REGIME in FLORENCE 1282-1434:
new office of priors elected for short 2 month
terms (mistrust of officials)
priors elected from 21 guilds (7 greater guilds, 14 lesser guilds)
must be master craftsmen paying designated amount of taxes
Early Renaissance: PETRARCH, HUMANISM, AVIGNON PAPACY, COLA DI RIENZO
FRANCESCO PETRARCA ARETINO 1304-1374
Poetry: Canzoniere, Rime Italian poems, including sonnets to Laura (d. 1348)
Africa Latin epic poem about Scipio Africanus republican hero of the Punic Wars
1341 crowned Poet Laureate on Capitoline Hill, patronage of King Robert of Naples
Humanism: revival of Latin literature manuscript hunting in monastic libraries
desire to go ad fontes (to the sources)
Petrarch's Works:
Latin edition of Livy's History of Roman Republic
De Viris Illustribus (Concerning Illustrious Men): biographies of Romans as model of virtue
Letters to Famous Men: writes to classical authors Cicero, Socrates
Familiar Letters to contemporaries including Cola di Rienzo, Emperor Charles IV
RENAISSANCE HUMANISM revival of classical literature and learning:
recovery of Latin texts 14th C; Greek texts (Plato) 15th C
social context: literate laymen, lawyers
new curriculum: use classical texts for study of human life, morality
* studia humanitatis: study of things human (not divine, not natural)
curriculum: grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history, moral philosophy
compare medieval university curriculum: theology as highest discipline
Humanism as guide to living: classical Latin literature as moralizing, practical,
this-worldly virtues aim to teach good conduct,responsibilities in social & political relationships
14th century roman Politics
context: city loses its major industry when Papacy moves to Avignon
AVIGNON PAPACY in France 1305-1378 after dispute between Pope & French King
City of Rome: Commune – republican city government; head quarters on Capitoline Hill
Barons - noble families (Orsini, Colonna)
COLA DI RIENZO Roman notary: studies classical history, archeology
1342: sent to Avignon Pope by city of Rome to seek his return
Petrarch hears Cola speak before Pope
1347: ROMAN REPUBLICAN REVOLUTION Cola leads revolt in Rome
title: "Tribune of Freedom, Peace & Justice; Liberator of the Holy Roman Republic"
Conference in Rome of Guelf city states: proclaims Roman jurisdiction over entire world
1348 overthrown by Roman nobility, prisoner of Charles IV, then Pope; escapes,
returns to Rome as Senator; executed 1354
Petrarch’s correspondence with Cola: supports revival of Roman Republic
poem: Spirito Gentil 1337-38 lament on the decline of Rome
Great Schism (1378-1414) after return from Avignon, French elect rival Pope
Conciliarism threat to idea of papal monarchy, evolves to end Schism
theory that highest authority in Church is General Council of Bishops;;
1409 Council of Pisa:
elects new Pope, Avignon & Rome refuse to resign; (Rome, Avignon, Pisa);
1414 Council of Constance: all three Popes resign or deposed; 1417 Council elects Martin V
POPES: The return to Rome and Avignon and Schism
Martin V Colonna, Roman noble 1420 enters Rome as first Pope after Schism