Papal Anatomy in the News: Bodies and Politics in the Early Modern Catholic World
In the sixteenth century, papal anatomy and its depiction in the news became a matter of central importance to politics and religion in Rome. Although papal bodies had been imbued with symbolic meaning from the early Middle Ages and examined after death from the thirteenth century, the early modern...
| Published in: | The sixteenth century journal |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sixteenth Century Journal Publishers, Inc.
[2018]
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| In: |
The sixteenth century journal
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| IxTheo Classification: | KAG Church history 1500-1648; Reformation; humanism; Renaissance KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history KCB Papacy KDB Roman Catholic Church NBE Anthropology |
| Further subjects: | B
CHURCH history; 16th century
B Human anatomy B Popes B SIXTUS V, Pope, 1520-1590 B PIUS V, Pope, 1504-1572 B URBAN VIII, Pope, 1568-1644 B HUMAN body; Symbolic aspects B INNOCENT X, Pope, 1574-1655 |
| Summary: | In the sixteenth century, papal anatomy and its depiction in the news became a matter of central importance to politics and religion in Rome. Although papal bodies had been imbued with symbolic meaning from the early Middle Ages and examined after death from the thirteenth century, the early modern period brought significant change in how the body was treated. In particular, twin developments in anatomy and news circulation meant that the interior of the papal corpse became a matter of debate where supporters or detractors could use anatomy to praise or malign papal rule. This paper will, in particular, look at several cases-including those of Pius V, Urban VIII, and Innocent X-for which multiple meanings were attached to the same anatomical discoveries inside the pope's body. Through these cases this article argues that circulation of postmortem reports could alter both the content and the interpretation of papal anatomy. |
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| ISSN: | 2326-0726 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The sixteenth century journal
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