Liturgy, Sanctity and History in Tridentine Italy

This book brings together for the first time detailed analyses of Tridentine liturgical reform, Counter-Reformation sanctity and the late Renaissance 'revolution' in historical method. It redraws traditional historical boundaries, and offers an original and challenging reappraisal of the relations between Rome and its local Italian churches during the 150 years after the closure of the Council of Trent in 1564. A fundamentally new context is also provided for the work of Cesare Baronio, 'father' of Counter-Reformation historical scholarship, and of his regional counterparts. The examination of the writings of one such local Baronio, Pietro Maria Campi of Piacenza (1569–1649), acts as a focus for this study, which also includes the fullest account yet published of Counter-Reformation canonisation procedure, as well as the first extended scholarly treatment of the collaborative achievement of Ferdinando Ughelli's Italia sacra, and that work's long-term implications for Italian national history writing. The book also includes a comprehensive survey of Italian local hagiography and ecclesiastical history writing of the period.

• Identifies the chief dynamic of the Counter-Reformation as the Church's attempt to regularise local devotional practice in Italy
• Provides the first full study of the role of liturgical reform in the Counter-Reformation
• Offers the fullest account in any language of canonisation procedures which were to be fixed for centuries thereafter