Vescovi e monaci tra i secoli X e XI: interventi conciliari

[Autom. eng. transl.] The article analyzes the relationship between bishops and monasteries in the 10th and 11th centuries through the prism of conciliar constitutions, highlighting the role of the Roman Church in the evolution of this relationship. The author emphasizes how the canon law of the period is characterized by a normative flexibility, which allowed the papacy to adapt the rules to specific local realities. One of the central aspects is the progressive strengthening of episcopal control over monasteries, often in contrast with the exemptions granted by the Holy See. Through the conciliar canons promulgated from the 11th century onwards, a double tendency emerges: on the one hand, the defense of episcopal authority over monastic institutions, on the other, the need to limit episcopal abuses over monasteries. This tension is reflected in the decisions of councils such as that of Gregory VII in 1078, which sought to balance episcopal rights and monastic autonomies. The article shows how, starting from the pontificate of Urban II and with increasing evidence in the Lateran Councils, the Roman Church pursued a strategy of strengthening episcopal control, progressively limiting monastic privileges. However, this policy was not without compromises, as Rome maintained the possibility of granting monastic exemptions based on political and ecclesial circumstances. The analysis concludes that the papacy used councils as instruments of regulation, but also of flexibility, to manage the delicate balance between episcopal authority and monastic freedom, granting the Roman Church a growing influence on local dynamics.