Europa in costruzione. La forza delle identità, la ricerca di unità (secoli IX-XIII)

• Published in: The Catholic Historical Review Vol. 94; no. 1; pp. 138 - 140
• Main Author: Raccagni, Gianluca
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington The Catholic University of America 01-01-2008; The Catholic University of America Press; Catholic University of America Press
• Subjects: Christianity; Conferences; Jewish people; Medieval; Muslims; Religion; Sicily; United Kingdom > UK; Europe; England; Byzantium; Italy; France; Germany; Spain
• ISSN: 0008-8080; 1534-0708; 1534-0708
• DOI: 10.1353/cat.2008.0051

[...] Western Christendom dominates these conference proceedings as well, above all for what concerns the drive toward unity (it is interesting to note that the conference took place at the height of the debate on the proposed European Constitution and on the inclusion in it of references to Christianity, which, however, is not mentioned in the book). The legacy of the Carolingian Empire was fundamental in many ways (with the adoption of the Caroline script among others), but after its fragmentation the Empire never succeeded in escaping the inconsistency between its universal (Western Christian) and its particular character, especially with the further growth of Western Christendom much beyond the borders of the Empire.The rift between the West and Byzantium was exacerbated by the increasing alienation of the latter from these trends (Byzantium tried to create its own commonwealth).