Seventeenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study examining how religious reform, local and imperial power were intimately intertwined in tenth-century Verona (Italy), and the way a sophisticated use of justice could be employed to solve a dispute that could have dangerous consequences for the entire German Empire. When the Belgian churchman Ratherius (c. 890-974) became bishop of Verona, his goal was to assume control of all the prerogatives due to him as prelate of that city. Ratherius decided to overcome his adversaries by organizing a drastic reform of the Veronese Church, which was heavily secularized. He thus justified his intervention as pitting correct enforcement of the laws against the “bad” customs of his opponents. Since the tones and methods of his reform were more strident and more drastic that those Emperor Otto, who ruled over Germany and Northern Italy, had approved, the sovereign did not side with him. However, the German sovereign could not remove easily a bishop who had not done anything illegal. His solution was to convince Ratherius to give up to his office by means of a skilfully orchestrated trial in which the troublemaking churchman was exposed, although in a minor case, as a law breaker. Peace and internal order were thus restored in Verona and Otto was able to get rid of a “troublemaker” without compromising his image of being a just sovereign.