Episcopal Appointments in Northern Italy during the Papacy of John XXII

This paper aims to investigate how the papal policy influenced episcopal appointments in Northern Italy, during the first half of the 14th century, specifically under John XXII and Benedict XII (an age that was crucial in modifying the relationship between the Papacy and the Italian episcopate). Particular attention will be paid to two different channels of promotion. The first one is related to the political dimension: I will try to evaluate how a crucial international event (i.e. the clash between Guelphs and Ghibellines in Northern Italy, in which the role of John XXII was decisive) influenced the appointment of bishops. In this area (and especially in those cities that had a strategic role for the political project of pope John and Bertrand du Pouget) the political background of the candidates was crucial, and bishops often came from the main Guelph families. Through an approach not limited to the “papal” perspective, I will also try to examine what consequences these appointments had on the role played by the bishop in their own dioceses. A career in the offices of the Papacy was another channel of promotion, that became progressively important during the Avignon Papacy. In the episcopal sees of Northern Italy, the appointing of curiales increased (especially under Benedict XII): they came both from France and Italy and usually had an high education. A comparative approach to the episcopal careers will enlighten the cultural background of these bishops and their identity. Both primary sources and historiography suggest the idea that they played an active role in the government of their own dioceses, for example by promoting a model of government based on a massive use of writing (some accounting practices adopted by the Apostolic Chamber disseminated also in episcopal chanceries), or by making important attempts to restore episcopal properties and rights.