Lordship, Reform, and the Development of Civil Society in Medieval Italy: The Bishopric of Orvieto, 1100-1250 (Publications in Medieval Studies) Book

"David Foote?s study of the bishopric of Orvieto in the central Middle Ages is a felicitous combination of original archival research and broad, innovative thinking about the meaning of the past. It is an exemplary monograph." ?Maureen Miller, University of California, Berkeley "In this highly significant case study of the bishopric of Orvieto, David Foote situates ecclesiastical institutions and traditions at the very heart of the development of the commune. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the politics and religion of twelfth and thirteenth century Italy." ?George Dameron, Saint Michael?s College "This elegant book explores a crucial and under-studied problem: the role of episcopal administration in the formation of the Italian city-states. It is a fascinating account of the changing interplay of secular and spiritual power. The bishopric developed systems to collect revenues, exact justice, inventory property, and maintain records that were largely appropriated by the rising commune. The consequences for the bishopric were both political marginalization and also a new freedom to attend to reform and the care of souls." ?Carol Lansing, University of California, Santa Barbara In his examination of the bishopric of Orvieto from 1100 to 1250, David Foote reveals how three defining developments of the High Middle Ages?the feudal revolution, ecclesiastical reform, and state building?played out in a typical medieval Italian commune. He challenges scholarship that overemphasizes the secular nature of Italian city-states by showing the extent to which developments in ecclesiastical institutions provided a model for the formation of civic institutions and defined a commune?s political and religious culture.Read More