The 'Commentaries' of Pope Pius II (1458-1464) and the Crisis of the Fifteenth-Century Papacy Contributor(s): O'Brien, Emily (Author) |
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ISBN: 1442647639 ISBN-13: 9781442647633 Publisher: University of Toronto Press OUR PRICE: $76.95 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: September 2015 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - History | Europe - Renaissance - History | Europe - Italy - Religion | Christian Church - History |
Dewey: 282.092 |
LCCN: 2015487728 |
Series: Toronto Italian Studies |
Physical Information: 1.3" H x 5.9" W x 9.1" (1.45 lbs) 352 pages |
Themes: - Cultural Region - Italy - Religious Orientation - Catholic - Religious Orientation - Christian - Chronological Period - 15th Century |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Written in the mid-fifteenth century, Pope Pius II's Commentaries are the only known autobiography of a reigning pontiff and a fundamental text in the history of Renaissance humanism. In this book, Emily O'Brien positions Pius' expansive autobiographical text within that century's contentious debate over ecclesiastical sovereignty. Presenting the Commentaries as Pius' response to the crisis of authority, legitimacy, and relevance that was engulfing the Renaissance papacy, she shows how the Commentaries function as both an aggressive assault on the papal monarchy's chief opponents and a systematic defense of Pius's own troubled pontificate and his pre-papal career. Illustrating how the language, imagery, and ideals of secular power inform Pius' apologetic self-portrait, The Commentaries of Pope Pius II (1458-1464) and the Crisis of the Fifteenth-Century Papacy demonstrates the role that Pius and his writings played in the evolution of the Renaissance papacy. |
Contributor Bio(s): O'Brien, Emily: - Emily O'Brien is an associate professor in the Departments of History and Humanities at Simon Fraser University. |