Family affairs the most scandalous popes in history books and. Love for the papacy and filial resistance to the pope in the history. John julius norwich makes a point of saying in the introduction to his history of the popes that he is no scholar and that he is an agnostic. Written by an accomplished church historian and produced with the full cooperation of the vatican, this beautifully illustrated guide delves into the 2,000yearlong history of the vatican. Since 1929, the pope has official residence in the apostolic palace in the. The history of the papacy, the office held by the pope as head of the catholic church, according. From 125777, the pope, though the bishop of rome, resided in viterbo, orvieto, and perugia, and then. Rather than describe each pope one by one, the book focuses on the popes that shaped pivotal moments in both church and world history.
Quintus curtius was apparently a rhetorician who lived in the first century of the roman empire and, early in the reign of claudius 4154 ce, wrote a history of alexander the great in 10 books in clear and picturesque style. Photocopies for private study of pages from books published between 1801 and 1990 can be requested in person or by mail. The secret history of pius xi and the rise of fascism in europe david i. What really lies hidden in the vatican secret archives. The index librorum prohibitorum list of prohibited books was a list of publications deemed.
A history of the papacy trawls through the near 2000year story of the papacy, highlighting the virtues and scandals of 265 popes and contextualizing them in their own era and their larger papal legacy. The area developed into a popular pilgrimage site and commercial district, although it was abandoned following the move of the papal court to france in 9. The vatican s history as the seat of the catholic church began with the construction of a basilica over st. The darkness of the papal history the papacy is the longestlasting elected office in the world, and the vast majority of popes have been good and honest christians. Cesare borgia, the illegitimate son of a pontiff, was the hero of the prince. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers.
John julius norwich proves that fictional thrillers about the vatican s past are superfluous. Portrait of a city multilingual edition giovanni fanelli. The pope also known as the supreme pontiff pontifex maximus, or the roman pontiff romanus pontifex, is the bishop of rome, head of the worldwide catholic church, and head of state or sovereign of the vatican city state. It discusses papal influence, daily life and governance of the worlds largest religious body, and the art collections and other priceless treasures rarely seen by the public. The historical context in which the index appeared involved the early. Pope nicholas v envisioned a new rome with extensive public works to lure pilgrims and scholars to the city to begin its transformation. Vatican city, known officially as the vatican city state, is the smallest and one of the most remarkable countries in the world. These popes are in the history books for all the wrong reasons. Some popes have also written books that discuss the history of the papacy from their own insightful perspective. The vatican library is open to anyone who can document their qualifications and research needs. The collection also includes 330,000 greek, roman, and papal coins and medals.
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