Processions and Populations

Medieval and Renaissance popes strategically orchestrated processions and urban theatricals to reinforce the Church's spiritual authority and temporal rule, mirroring Rome's imperial rulers' use of public spectacles. These ceremonies, including translations of icons, funerals, and public games, were carefully choreographed to manifest papal power and control over contested sites. The most significant procession was the papal possesso, a route that evolved into a key east-west passage in Rome, often modified during political tensions but maintained even when popes resided in Avignon. Upon returning to Rome in the mid-15th century, the possesso became a symbol of the intertwined rebirth of city and Church, with its route reversed from St. Peter's to the Lateran. Over time, the ceremony grew more elaborate, serving to confirm papal sovereignty over the Christian world, city government, and nobility, while delineating their relationships with the pope.

(Ed.). (2016). PROCESSIONS AND POPULATIONS. Rome, 271–280. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139012911.031