Catholic Converts

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Focusing on the evolution of episcopal palaces in northern Italy, the book explores how these structures transformed from simple fortifications into elegant symbols of clerical power by the late twelfth century. Maureen C. Miller examines the interplay between the rise of a distinct clerical culture and the diminishing secular authority of bishops amidst the rise of communal governments. This architectural rivalry not only reshaped urban landscapes but also influenced the dynamics of power within western Christianity, highlighting the tension between spiritual and temporal authority.