What Did the Leaders of the Reformation Want to Form Again Avignon

The Renaissance period was a time of renewed influence and power for the Papacy in Italia and as well internationally. The era from 1420 to 1517 saw it reach new heights of power and become a great patron of the arts. This article will examine the role of the Papacy in Renaissance Italy and its contribution to the corking flowering of art and culture at that remarkable time. The article will show that the Papacy became the absolute rulers of the Papal States, who played a leading office in Italian politics. The Papacy was largely secular and this allowed Italy's artists and writers to work in an environs that was relatively costless. Finally, the Papacy was one of the leading patrons of the arts at this fourth dimension and they commissioned many of the greatest works in the western tradition. This piece will argue that the character of the Renaissance was shaped by the Pope's in Rome. It will also demonstrate that the Papacy, with its abuse and secular preoccupations were a major factor in the Reformation.

The Impact of the Neat Schism of 1378

The Papacy had experienced perhaps its greatest ever crunch in the 14th century. This was the 'Great Schism of 1378' which left the Church divided for some forty years. The roots of the schism lay in the intervention of the French monarchs into the affairs of the Papacy, that eventually led to successive Popes living in Avignon, in Southern French republic.^[1] By 1378 the church was divided between Cardinals who were pro-French and who wanted to stay in Avignon and Italian Cardinals who wanted to render to Rome. By 1378 the Church had ii Popes ane based in Avignon and one based in Rome. The state of affairs became fifty-fifty more dislocated when a third Pope was elected. This continued for most forty years until the Council of Constance, when cardinals from all over Europe elected Pope Martin V (1417-1431) as the sole Pope in Rome.

Martin effectively concluded the 'Slap-up Schism', was the first of the Renaissance Popes and he reestablished the Papacy in Rome.^[2] The successors of Martin were able to brand the Eternal Metropolis once more the center of Christendom. The city at this time despite not being a commercial heart saw a catamenia of massive economical growth driven by the spending of pilgrims and contributions from churches throughout Europe. The metropolis soon became wealthy and the Pope's treasury overflowed. The power and the prestige of the Papacy grew during the reigns of the 14 Popes of the Renaissance era. Withal, this golden era for the Popes ended in 1527, when the mutinous army of the German Emperor Charles V besieged and sacked Rome, killing thousands and leaving much of the urban center in ruins. The 'Sack of Rome' in 1527 is seen as not simply the end of the Renaissance Papacy but also the Renaissance.^[3].

What was the Popes influence on Renaissance Civilization?

The Papal regular army in action in the sixteenth century

Rome had fallen into a state of disrepair and nearly ruin after the Papacy had relocated to Avignon. The Renaissance Popes were adamant to restore Rome and to make her in one case once more the upper-case letter of a united Christendom. The Church employed many humanists to work in the Curia, the Papal bureaucracy. These humanists also studied the many classical texts that were held in Papal archives and libraries.^[4]. They did much to make the ancient earth better known in this period and inspired many to emulate the classical era. The Papacy began to spend its wealth on ways to beautify the urban center. All the Popes in this flow were cracking patrons of the art and were often real connoisseurs. They were very neat to collect antiquities from the aboriginal past and indeed helped to rediscover great works of fine art. Julius Two and his agents unearthed such keen works of art from the Roman past, such as the Apollo Dais.^[five]

During this period successive Popes rebuilt the city and using Imperial Rome equally a model, had dandy basilicas and plazas built. Pope Sixtus VI was a great builder, he widened the streets and commissioned the Sistine Chapel. The city was transformed during the Renaissance Papacy. The rebuilding of the city at this time was a political statement, it was to show the globe the might of the Popes and demonstrate their unique status as leaders of the Church building. Popes commissioned great artists to create masterpieces for the Vatican.^{[half dozen]} They too immune the artists great freedom of expression and their coin allowed painters, sculptors and architects to devote themselves to their art. They attracted the greatest talents from all over Italy to the 'Eternal Urban center'. Pope Julius II paid Michelangelo to pigment the Sistine Chapel's ceiling. Leo X is well known for his patronage of Raphael, whose paintings notwithstanding adorn the Vatican. The Papacy was to commission many more than masterpieces at this time and without their generosity, the artistic achievements of the menstruation would have been far less.^[7]

What role did the Popes play in the Politics of Italia?

The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican

The Pope subsequently the return to Rome were eager to reestablish their role in the politics of Italy. The Papacy was in many means just another territorial ruler and they saw no contradiction between this and their spiritual role. The Popes owned extensive lands in Central and Southern Italy and also in Southern France. The Papacy had lost much of its authorisation in their own lands surrounding Rome and successive Pontiffs sought to reclaim these territories, which, were known as the Papal States. Their priority was to reclaim their rights in the Papal States, during the 'Babylonian Captivity' of the Pope in Avignon local rulers had seized much of central Italy.^[8]. Information technology was not until the showtime of the 16th century that the Popes had full command of the Papal States. The Popes reformed the States and they began to resemble the nation-states of Europe with a centralized bureaucracy and continuing regular army. To secure their position the Popes made themselves the absolute ruler of these lands, they curbed the powers of the feudal lords and reduced their powers.

The growing ability of the Papacy in central Italia fabricated the Pontiff, perhaps the virtually important ruler in Italy^[nine]. The Pontiff began to resemble the absolute monarchies of England and France. The Pope although the head of the Cosmic Church building acted like any other secular leader of the time. The Pope'due south with their great wealth they were able to raise armies of mercenaries and they fought wars to reclaim their lost lands in key Italy. They also played an important part in the politics of the Italian City-States and they frequently entered into alliances with Republics and fought wars to secure their interests. The Popes were besides very active in international affairs and were oftentimes eager to build alliances confronting the growing power of the Ottoman Turks.^[ten]

Papal Corruption

The Pope was the head of the Catholic Church and the spiritual leader of millions of Christians in Europe. Notwithstanding, the corking wealth and power of the Papacy corrupted the various holders of the office and this was to have a marked outcome on Renaissance Italy.^[11] Many Popes were more interested in advancing the interests of their families and they ofttimes lavished coin and lands on their family unit members. The Popes oftentimes showed great favors towards their nephews. Many nephews of Popes became very powerful in Rome in the Church building and politics. For example, Pope Calixtus avant-garde his nephew to high part in the Curia and he eventually became Pope Alexander VI. The Papal favoritism of nephews led to the coinage of the term of 'nepotism'. The Pontiff was ordinarily a worldly figure at this time. Pope Leo X spend lavishly and lived the loftier life and Julius 2 was known as the ''Warrior-Pope' for his dearest of war.''^[12] This and their lavish patronage of the arts resulted in serious financial difficulties for the Church building despite its vast wealth, by the terminate of the fifteenth century. Many of the Popes led scandalous lives, such equally Alexander Vi, who had many mistresses and several children ^[xiii]

Papal corruption was nothing new and in the Dark Ages the Papacy had been peradventure fifty-fifty more decadent. The Renaissance Papacy, despite the holiness of some, such as Sixtus 4, was largely secular in its outlook. The uniquely secular culture of at least the elites in Italia was encouraged by the secularism of the Papacy. This meant that the many artists and writers at the time had no fear of offending the Pope and the Church and had therefore almost unlimited freedom of expression. This was despite the fact that many of them celebrated ancient and non-Christian values. This too allowed great writers such as Machiavelli or artists such every bit Leonardo to express their interest in the classical and natural world without fear of being accused of irreligion^[14]. In previous eras, the Inquisition would have investigated their writings and behavior of such writers and thinkers. During the Renaissance, the Inquisition was almost dormant, thanks to the lack of interest of the Popes in the enforcement of religious orthodoxy.^[15] When the Papacy get more religious and spiritual during the menstruum later the Sack of Rome, the civilization of Italy was less favorable to freedom of idea and expression and this led to a turn down in the arts.

Papacy and Faith

Perhaps the great bear on of the Papacy on Italy and across was on religious belief. The increasing secular outlook and policies of the Pope came to exist viewed with disgust and outrage past many religious people, particularly exterior Italy. Many people in Christendom were worried that if the Pope was corrupt, was the church building also corrupt and what did this mean for their salvation.^[sixteen] The Church at this menstruation was in need of reform, all over Europe. The Popes did not endeavour to reform the clergy and were also preoccupied in the pursuit of their interests in Italy and especially in the Papal States. The lives of the Popes scandalized many and led to many becoming disenchanted with the Catholic Church.

Martin Luther visited Rome and was appalled by what he saw in Rome and at the Papal Court. The corruption of the Popes, such as Alexander Iv, led to many people losing respect for the Papacy and fifty-fifty the Church. People grew tired of the endless demands for coin by the Popes and they especially resented the sale of indulgences. These indulgences were sold by the Pope to shorten a souls stay in Purgatory after their decease and many people, including the clergy saw information technology as a fraudulent practice.^[17]

Leo Ten sold indulgences in order to heighten funds for the rebuilding of St Peter's Basilica and this did much to harm the reputation of the Pontiff in German-speaking lands. The Renaissance Papacy inadvertently did much to spur the reform movement, that began when Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to a Church Door in Wittenberg Germany and which ultimately led to a permanent schism in Christianity. The Renaissance Papacy with its worldliness greatly contributed to the Reformation and ended the unity of Christendom in Western Europe.^[xviii]

Conclusion

The Renaissance was in many ways a golden historic period for the Popes, they returned to Rome subsequently nigh a hundred years and became once again contained of the French monarchs.^[nineteen] They Papacy recovered most of their lands in Primal Italia and would remain a power in Italy until 1871. They also beautified Rome and did much to encourage the arts and literature by their patronage of nifty figures such every bit Michelangelo. The Papacy was likewise tolerant and this was essential in the great cultural flowering in Italy at his time.

However, this all came at a great price. The Popes became wealthy, powerful just corrupt and secular and neglected their spiritual role. They often advanced the interests of their families and personal ambitions no matter what the costs. The prestige of the Church building declined and this lead to increasing disillusionment with the Church building and ultimately it was to lead to the rise of Protestantism and the division of Christendom into 2 hostile religious groups, Catholics, and Protestants.

References

1. ↑ Duffy, Eamon. Saints & Sinners: A History of the Popes. (Yale University Press, 1997), p. 211
2. ↑ Duffy, p. 314
3. ↑ Tuchman, Barbara West., The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1985), p. 167
4. ↑ Tuchmann, p. 118
5. ↑ Duffy, p. 319
6. ↑ Ruggiero, Guido. The Renaissance in Italy: A Social and Cultural History of the Rinascimento (Cambridge Academy Press, 2015). 648 pp
7. ↑ Ruggerio, p. 645
8. ↑ Duffy, p. 313
9. ↑ Duffy, p. 317
10. ↑ Johnson, Paul. The Renaissance: A Curt History (Longman, London, 2000), p. 197
11. ↑ Johnson, p. 114
12. ↑ Johnson. 119
13. ↑ Duffy, p 321
14. ↑ Johnson, p. 121
15. ↑ Ruggiero, Guido, ed. A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance. ( Longman, London, 2002), p. 561
16. ↑ Duffy, p. 334
17. ↑ Bradshaw, Brendan (1983). "The Reformation and the Counter-Reformation," History Today. 33 (xi): 42–45
18. ↑ Bradshaw, p. 43
19. ↑ Duffy, p. 302

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