Rites of Resistance: Urban Liturgy and the Crowd in the Patarine Revolt of Milan, <i>c</i>.1057–75
James Norrie
Abstract This essay uses an unexploited liturgical source, a twelfth-century order book by the Milanese cleric Beroldo, to illuminate how processions shaped practice of largest and most radical popular movement central Middle Ages, Pataria Milan, during pivotal moment urban change. Religious had power project episcopal authority across rapidly expanding population. They also sanctioned redistribution wealth resources city churches. At same time, they provided possible grammar resistance those who rose up against elites. The struggled at pulpit on streets for sexual economic purity clergy. It first erupted in 10 May 1057—during parade. conflict between supporters religious reform one hand, archbishop’s aristocratic court clergy other, persisted until movement’s defeat 1075. Until then, Patarine violence continually disrupted tearing priests from their altars overturning solemn processions. article introduces Beroldo other sources context, value as witnesses later eleventh-century history. surveys responded expansion developed growing but unstable social political importance. With picture landscape place, it then investigates contested ways that processions, days such Easter baptism or Three Day Litanies, created civic community communicated relations power.
The English Historical Review