The project Papal communication in the central Middle Ages examines a variety of papal communication channels and media, from gift-giving to letters and historical writings. The goal is to provide a synchronic and diachronic view of the multi-faceted and multi-medial communication from the papal curia to the world outside the curia in the period c.1100-1250. A key question is how the curia attempted to promote papal authority through its various forms of communication. The project also assesses how communication was received by its secular and ecclesiastical recipients, and what this may tell us about the local perception and negotiation of papal authority.
The project is funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research (on a DFF-YDUN grant) and has four core participants including two post-docs and one PhD student. It is led by Iben Fonnesberg-Schmidt, Department of Politics and Society at Aalborg University. The group arranges a number of seminars and other events, including an open international conference in Spring 2018 held at Aalborg University.
