Latest / The Story of Italy: Rome, Renaissance, and the Birth of Modern Europe — Fexingo History
The Donation of Constantine Medieval Forgeries That Shaped Italy
In this episode of The Story of Italy, Lucas and Luna explore one of the most audacious forgeries in medieval history: the Donation of Constantine. This document, supposedly from the 4th century Emperor Constantine to Pope Sylvester I, granted vast territories and temporal power to the papacy, forming the legal basis for the Papal States. We trace its origins to the 8th-century Frankish court, its use by popes like Leo III and Gregory VII to assert authority over secular rulers, and its eventual exposure as a forgery by Lorenzo Valla in 1440—a critical moment in Renaissance humanism. We also…
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