Week 8
The wealth of Florence meant that Florentines would be immensely influential as the Papacy began to rebuild the institution after the disasters of the Fourteenth Century. The Avignon Papacy had alienated England. The Schism with three popes had alienated almost everybody and then finally the Council of Constance in 1415 had tried to find a candidate to rebuild the church. They chose a Roman, Martin of the great Colonna family. But Martin spent many years living in Florence and Pope Eugenius IV (seen below consecrating the Florentine monastery of San Marco) lived in Florence in the cloister of Santa Maria Novella for a decade. Both popes solicited funds from the Medici and others in their efforts to rebuild both the city and the church of Rome.
REQUIRED READING:
RECOMMENDED READING:
The Civilization of Europe in the Renaissance,
Scribner, Reprint edition (June 1, 1995),
ISBN 0684803526
