Constitutiones Sanctæ Matris Ecclesiæ
Encyclopedia
The Constitutiones Sanctæ Matris Ecclesiæ (Constitutions of the Holy Mother Church), informally known as the Constitutiones Aegidianae (English: Egidian Constitutions, Italian
: Costituzioni egidiane), were six books of law which formed the first historic constitution
of the Papal States
. They were redacted at Fano
by Cardinal Albornoz between 29 April and 1 May 1357 at an assembly of all the vicar
s of the pontifical territories.
The Constitutiones formed the highest law of a vast stretch of central Italy
, including the modern regions of Emilia-Romagna
, Marche
, Umbria
, and Lazio, until 1816. Under the Constitutiones, the Papal States were divided into five provinces: the Duchy of Spoleto
, March of Ancona
, Romagna
, Patrimony of Saint Peter, and the Campagne and Maritime Province
. Each province fell under the direction of a rector
appointed personally by the pope
. Each rector was charged with the selection of a council of seven justices for his province. The purpose of the council was to counter corruption and each justice had to belong to a different province then the one to which they were appointed. The rector also had the power to name the chief of the armed forces of his province, but was barred from bestowing the office on one of his relatives.
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
: Costituzioni egidiane), were six books of law which formed the first historic constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
of the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
. They were redacted at Fano
Fano
Fano is a town and comune of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy. It is a beach resort 12 km southeast of Pesaro, located where the Via Flaminia reaches the Adriatic Sea...
by Cardinal Albornoz between 29 April and 1 May 1357 at an assembly of all the vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
s of the pontifical territories.
The Constitutiones formed the highest law of a vast stretch of central Italy
Central Italy
Central Italy is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics , a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency...
, including the modern regions of Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia–Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of and about 4.4 million inhabitants....
, Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
, Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
, and Lazio, until 1816. Under the Constitutiones, the Papal States were divided into five provinces: the Duchy of Spoleto
Duchy of Spoleto
The independent Duchy of Spoleto was a Lombard territory founded about 570 in central Italy by the Lombard dux Faroald.- Lombards :The Lombards, a Germanic people, had invaded Italy in 568 and conquered much of it, establishing a Kingdom divided between several dukes dependent on the King, who had...
, March of Ancona
March of Ancona
The March of Ancona or marca Anconitana was a frontier march centred on the city of Ancona and, then, Macerata in the Middle Ages...
, Romagna
Romagna
Romagna is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna. Traditionally, it is limited by the Apennines to the south-west, the Adriatic to the east, and the rivers Reno and Sillaro to the north and west...
, Patrimony of Saint Peter, and the Campagne and Maritime Province
Campagne and Maritime Province
The Campagne and Maritime Province was one of the seven provinces of the Papal States from the 12th century to the end of the 18th....
. Each province fell under the direction of a rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
appointed personally by the pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
. Each rector was charged with the selection of a council of seven justices for his province. The purpose of the council was to counter corruption and each justice had to belong to a different province then the one to which they were appointed. The rector also had the power to name the chief of the armed forces of his province, but was barred from bestowing the office on one of his relatives.