Rome and the Great Western Schism, 1378-1417 : The History and Aftermath of a Medieval Religious Conflict

The first comprehensive study of the Roman papacy during the Great Western Schism.

The first comprehensive study of the Roman papacy during the Great Western Schism.


The Great Western Schism (1378-1417) stands as one of the most profound ruptures in the history of the medieval Catholic Church, a crisis that fractured Christendom. This book offers the first comprehensive study of the Roman papacy during this era, a perspective often neglected in existing scholarship. Bringing together political, administrative and religious history, it serves both as an introduction to the Schism and as a detailed study of papal governance in Rome. It explores how the Roman curia, monastic houses and ecclesiastical institutions navigated decades of uncertainty, and how lay devotion in the Eternal City adapted to prolonged turmoil.

Challenging the notion that the Roman popes pursued a clear strategy, this book argues that their actions were shaped by pragmatic, often improvised responses to shifting political and ecclesiastical situations; but that despite these constraints, the Roman papal administration proved remarkably resilient in reconstituting itself after 1378, providing those who had remained loyal with opportunities to advance their ecclesiastical careers.