Popes and Papal Rome, 1503-1655
The Theatre of the World
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Publishing:11th Jun '26
£90.00
This title is due to be published on 11th June, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Brings together art historical, social, and political perspectives to provide the first book-length survey of the early modern papal court.
Popes and Papal Rome, 1503-1655 is the first book-length account of the early modern papal court in English. As well as bringing together art historical, social, and political studies in several languages, it contains a wealth of primary source material, such as advice manuals for cardinals and aspiring courtiers, accounts of Roman festivals, reports of visiting ambassadors and news reports from Rome deposited in the Vatican library.
The book argues that during the 16th and 17th centuries, popes were conscious to varying degrees of their responsibilities to conserving and enhancing the status of the monarchy as something larger than themselves as individuals or their families, and as such they exhibited some characteristics of dynastic monarchies. Toby Osborne explores how the culture of the papal court and the ways in which it functioned as a point of contact between the ruler, certain elites, and other princes not only had similarities with dynastic states, but also set the standard for court life around Europe.
By bringing to light recent scholarship written by continental historians, Popes and Papal Rome, 1503-1655 represents an important contribution to the scholarly endeavour to better understand the political culture of the papal states and the workings of the papal monarchy. As such, it will be illuminating reading for all students and scholars interested in early modern court history.
Toby Osborne’s command of the lively international and multi-lingual scholarship on the history of early modern Rome is unsurpassed. His work stands out both for the synthesis he offers to the English-speaking reader and for charting new vistas on how the city, in the wake of the crisis of the Reformation, developed into the trend-setting court capital of Europe and proverbial ‘theatre of the world’. Contextualising the papal rulers within the wider social and cultural framework of the European society of princes, his elegantly written study puts the spotlight not on Church history but on how, thanks to the shared foundations of court culture, Italian elites as well as local and international audiences performed the papal monarchy and transformed the cityscape of Rome. * Nicole Reinhardt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz *
A lucid and insightful work that expertly contextualises the papal court alongside secular monarchies. Osborne's treatment of diplomacy and ceremonial breaks new ground while remaining thoroughly accessible. * Miles Pattenden, University of Oxford *
This long-awaited study draws upon the author's command of primary and secondary material in half a dozen languages. A leading authority on the history of early modern diplomacy, Osborne explains clearly and compellingly what was distinctive about the papacy at a crucial period in its history and how it made the city of Rome into the 'theatre of the world'; a legacy which captivates visitors to this day. * Simon Ditchfield, University of York *
ISBN: 9781472571588
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
464 pages