Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- List of Abbreviations
- Note on Transcriptions
- Note on Money
- Introduction
- 1 Humanism and Honour in the Making of Alessandro Farnese
- 2 Pathways to Honour
- 3 Tradition and Reform
- 4 The Consilium and Reform Constrained
- 5 Pax et Concordia – Politics and Reform
- 6 The Ottoman Threat
- 7 The Council of Trent
- 8 Reform in the Twilight Years
- About the Author
- Index
8 - Reform in the Twilight Years
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 November 2020
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- List of Abbreviations
- Note on Transcriptions
- Note on Money
- Introduction
- 1 Humanism and Honour in the Making of Alessandro Farnese
- 2 Pathways to Honour
- 3 Tradition and Reform
- 4 The Consilium and Reform Constrained
- 5 Pax et Concordia – Politics and Reform
- 6 The Ottoman Threat
- 7 The Council of Trent
- 8 Reform in the Twilight Years
- About the Author
- Index
Summary
Abstract
The interplay of honour and reform continued in the last years of Pope Paul's pontificate. With the Council transferred to Bologna and most of the prominent reformers either dead or retired, the movement for reform was left languishing. Yet Paul was aware that reform was unfinished business and that if he could keep it under his control, it would bring him honour to stimulate the movement once more. In his last year, Paul made attempts to bring influential bishops to Rome to consider reform possibilities. Those efforts were still in train when Paul died. The chapter concludes with a reflection on the course of reform under Paul and on how culture shaped events in this period.
Keywords: Farnese territory; Paul III death; cultural narratives; theatre of Rome
On 28 February 1548 Pope Paul III celebrated his eightieth birthday. He had been considered old when he assumed the papacy at age sixty-six. By now his age was a constant backdrop to the affairs of his pontificate. Thus, in 1544, in preparation for the Council, Paul had renewed his binding instructions on what was to happen regarding a papal election if he should die while the Council was in progress. Around 1546, he wrote his Ricordi for his grandson, Alessandro, acknowledging that his time was near and giving advice about promoting the family interests under the next papacy. On the family side, news of even minor ailments prompted requests for reassurance from Farnese relatives, his grandchildren in particular. In fact, Paul's health was fairly stable and he remained as engaged and attentive as ever to the issues of the day. Of these, the Council and the Farnese patrimony received his particular attention. Both these hinged on his relationship with the emperor.
Over the course of 1547 Paul's relationship with Charles fell into an abyss. Added to their conflict over the Council's transfer to Bologna and Charles’ toleration of Protestant doctrine and practice in Germany came a shocking imperial attack on the Farnese family. On 10 September 1547, agents of the Imperial Viceroy of Milan, Ferrante Gonzaga, murdered Paul's son, Pierluigi, and Gonzaga quickly took possession of the Farnese territory of Piacenza.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Pope Paul III and the Cultural Politics of Reform1534–1549, pp. 189 - 202Publisher: Amsterdam University PressPrint publication year: 2020