Karolinum Press, Charles University
Emperor Charles IV and the Origins of the Great Schism, c. 1375–1378
Distributed for Karolinum Press, Charles University
Emperor Charles IV and the Origins of the Great Schism, c. 1375–1378
Reveals how Emperor Charles IV’s efforts to secure the imperial coronation of his son intersect with the early stages of the Great Western Schism.
Emperor Otto I the Great made history in the Holy Roman Empire with a significant dynastic achievement: in 967, he persuaded the pope to crown his son co-emperor in Rome. Two centuries later, another renowned emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, attempted a similar feat, negotiating with four different popes for the coronation of his descendant, but ultimately failed. A lesser-known parallel can be found in the life of Emperor Charles IV of the Luxembourg dynasty in the fourteenth century. After the Papal Curia returned to Rome from Avignon in early 1377, Charles made concerted efforts in Italy, France, and Germany to secure the imperial coronation of his son, Wenceslas. However, this bold ambition coincided with an unprecedented crisis in relations between the "French” cardinals and the newly elected Italian pope, Urban VI. Recognizing that the final chapter of Charles IV’s biography is deeply intertwined with the early history of the Great Western Schism offers a fresh perspective on a subject that has long captivated international scholarship.
349 pages | 6.5 x 8.86 | © 2025
History: European History
Religion: Christianity
Table of Contents
Introduction
Charles IV, Schism, and Historians
Sources, Perspectives, Structures
1. The Story of a Divided Papacy
The Gold of Rome and the Fleshpots of Avignon
The Castel Sant’Angelo and Papal Liveries
The Hunt for the Truth about the Election and Revolt
Between the Pope’s Tyranny and Cardinals’ Vanity
From the Church Council to the Second Election
The Queen’s Two Bodies and the Sign of the Cross
2. An Imperial Diadem for the Young King
The Royal Election and Papal Approbation as a Bone of Contention
The Romzug, the War of the Eight Saints, and the Signs of the Stars
The Shared Emperorship and the Riddle of the Parisian Summit
3. Dynastic Interests in a Labyrinth of Ambition and Intrigue
The Postponement of Wenceslas’s Approbation in Rome
Urban’s Envoys in Prague
The Promulgation of the Approbation in Tivoli
4. Charles IV and the Great Schism
Anatomy of German Policy
Happy Hour of the Roman Campaign
Multilateral Diplomacy
Lights and Shadows of Agitation
The Power of Spiritual Knowledge
Conclusion
Editorial Appendix
Bibliography
Index