The Rome of Pope Paschal I

The series Cambridge Studies in Medieual Life and Thought was inaugurated by G. G. Coulton in 1921; Professor Rosamond McKitterick now acts as General Editor of the Fourth Series with Professor Christine Carpenter and Dr Jonathan Shepard as Advisory Editors. The series brings together outstanding work by medieval scholars over a wide range of human endeavour extending from political economy to the history of ideas.In the early ninth century a critical time in Rome''s transformation from ancient capital to powerful bishopric to new state capital Pope Paschal I undertook a building campaign to communicate his authority and Rome''s importance as an ancient and contemporary seat of power. Combining analysis of contemporary chronicles and documents architecture mosaics and new archaeology of medieval Rome Caroline J. Goodson examines Paschal''s urban project revealing new patterns of popular saint veneration in resplendent new churches built using traditional architectural vocabularies. These transformations connect the city and the pope to the past and the present in the same league as the Byzantine and Carolingian capitals and their emperors. By examining the relationships between the material world and political power in early medieval Rome this innovative study reveals the importance of Rome''s sacred and urban landscape in constructing papal rule and influence both in the city and beyond