Representing rights for Duke University Press, Syracuse University Press, University of Georgia Press,University of Nebraska Press,University of New Mexico Press, University of North Carolina Press, Vanderbilt University Press and University of West Indies Press
View Rights Portal
From the Hebrew name meaning “Who Is Like God?”, Michael is one of the angels–together with Raphael (“God Heals”) and Gabriel (“God Is My Strength”)–whose names are mentioned in the Holy Scripture. Since the first centuries of Christianity, there has been a wide diffusion of his worship in Europe and in the East through a multitude of sanctuaries and chapels, mostly nestled in high places, related to caves and water. An astonishing feature of this spread is a mysterious straight line crossing the European continent from North-West to South-East from Ireland to Asia Minor, and it is perfectly aligned with the sunset on the day of Summer Solstice. Along this line are seven sanctuaries dedicated to Michael, three of which have been significantly important over the centuries: Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, the Sacra di San Michele in val di Susa and the Sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo on Mount Gargano, in Puglia. Three extraordinary high places that are all the same distance one from the other and which have always been a constant pilgrimage destination. Another aspect is the connection Saint Michael had with the Longobards, who migrated across Europe between the second and the sixth century until they reached Italy where they settled. This made Michael the first truly “European” Saint, attracting believers from all over the continent. With the contribution of some of the most important historians and medievalists from different European countries, this book depicts the presence of Saint Michael in Europe, starting with the diffusion of his devotion, especially during the Middle Ages, and extending to an analysis of the iconography of the Saint through the many architectural and artistic testimonies to be found throughout Europe. Thanks to its influential contributions and to the variety of both historical and iconographic topics, combined with the spectacular nature of the numerous images of places and artistic testimonies, this book is a unique journey through Europe between art and faith.
Nicola Bergamo's in-depth study proposes an historical excursus on the evolution of relations between the nascent city of Venice and the powerful Byzantine empire, from the first Venetian settlements in the lagoon eaves of the Augustan X Regio Venetia et Histria, through the devastating gothic wars and the Longobard invasion, until the fiscal liberation of 1082 with the chrysobolla granted by the basileus Alessio I Comneno, which greatly increased the commercial fortune of the Venetians within the Mediterranean, consolidating what would become a shining thousand-year-old republic. A change also in the political power that from the exarch, the tribune and the magister militum would pass to the elite families who elected the first duces, and would move its centre of gravity from the primitive capital Civitanova on the mainland to the lagoon nucleus of Rivoalto around which the city would develop, seeking a solution to the continuous struggles between the patriarchates of Grado and Aquileia and the assaults of the Narentan pirates who crossed the ships on their way to Constantinople.The essay is accompanied by an introductory text by PierAlvise Zorzi.
Matilda of Canossa (Italian: Matilde di Canossa, 1046-1115) is a fascinating yet rarely mentioned character, in spite of her great importance in the history of the European Middle Ages. Countess of a vast buffer territory between the Lazio region and Garda that held the balance between Papacy and Empire, she soon entered into the ongoing conflict between the two. Initially taking on the role of peacemaker (also because she was cousin to Henry IV on her mother’s side), as demonstrated by the famous “meeting of Canossa” (28th January 1077), she subsequently proved an open supporter of the papacy and the Reformation. With this choice, she put her powers – granted to her mainly by former emperors – and her very supremacy at stake: after Henry IV declared her a traitoress, cities rebelled against her rule, and many of her territorial possessions were overrun by the imperial army. A woman of great power, the unconventional Matilda of Canossa found herself at the heart of an epoch-making conflict, extolled by one faction (who called her “the Daughter of St. Peter” and “the Handmaid of the Lord”) and slandered by the other (who accused her of being a whore, and Pope Gregory VII’s lover). Her gender played a key role here: though entitled under Longobard law to inherit her family’s holdings, she still needed a man to support and vouch for her. This led her to marry for the second time – another doomed marriage, this time to a young boy; it also led her to adopt Count Guido Guerra as a son and, lastly, to surrender to the new emperor, Henry V, who – in exchange for the emperor’s appointment as her heir – once again acknowledged her authority over the northern Italian part of the Canossa holding, by virtue of their commonly known kinship. Thus, it wasn’t until the end of her earthly life that Matilda was able to devote herself to prayer and meditation, which she had been drawn to since childhood – an inclination discouraged, however, by Pope Gregory VII himself, due to her invaluable political and military role in support of the papacy. Following her death in 1115, her memory – immortalised by the monk Donizone – was consolidated with the Church’s claim to the donation of her possessions, as well as a series of myths and legends – both learned and popular in nature – that began spreading in the Late Middle Ages all the way down to our times, transforming her into a legendary character within and without the lands of the Po Valley. Recalling her life thus gives us the chance to open a window onto a crucial period in medieval history, and on the men and women who lived through it. THEMES, CONTENT AND STRUCTURE:A tale of life, losses, love, struggles, downfall and redemption, violence and passion… these are the themes running through this historical novel devoted to Matilda. A work of historical fiction that reconstructs the key events in her life, from childhood to youth and on through adulthood and old age, in an attempt to restore the character’s great power.
