The life of Senzius of Blera and episcopal appropriation of monastic cults in early medieval Tuscany

digital

Articolo

Rivista

RIVISTA DI STORIA DELLA CHIESA IN ITALIA

Fascicolo

RIVISTA DI STORIA DELLA CHIESA IN ITALIA - 2015 - 2

Titolo

The life of Senzius of Blera and episcopal appropriation of monastic cults in early medieval Tuscany

Autore

Nicholas Everett

Editore

Vita e Pensiero

Formato

Articolo |

Pdf

Pagine

Online da

12-2016

Issn

0035-6557 (stampa) | 1827-790X (digitale)

€ 6,00

Ebook in formato Pdf leggibile su questi device:

Computer
con Software:
- Adobe PDF Reader
Android
iPhone/Ipad
con App:
- Adobe PDF Reader
E-Book Reader
Ibs Tolino
Kobo

Descrizione

This article analyses an anonymous hagiographic work, the Life of Senzius of Blera (BHL 7581), in the light of more recent research on the archaeology of early medieval Blera and on similar hagiographic texts of early medieval Italy. Combining these insights with examination of other literary sources for the region, including the letters of Pope Gregory I, the Liber Pontificalis and similar hagiographic texts produced at nearby Lucca, it is argued that the Life’s concern to promote two monastic cults, that of Mamilianus of Montecristo and the Isola del Giglio, and that of Senzius at Blera as the town’s patron saint, reflects the episcopal appropriation of these cults by the church of Blera in the eighth century as Blera became an increasingly important and strategic frontier town between the two warring powers of Byzantine and Lombard Italy.