The Popes of Rome in Post-Byzantine wall paintings from Romania

Abstract

This study aims to bring forth two iconographic contexts which relate to the issue of the primacy of Rome. The first one dwells upon the evidence taken from Byzantium and the Balkans, while the second follows this line of investigation into the Romanian Post-Byzantine heritage. The cult of Saint Peter was strong enough in Byzantium as to prevent any refutation of his primacy, even during the harshest quarrels with Rome. This could explain the presence of Roman Popes (most frequently of St. Sylvester) in the procession of saintly bishops depicted in Moldavian apses at the end of the 15th c. and in the 16th c., but equally in Wallachian iconographic programs from the 16th and 17th c. This phenomenon might hint at a claim to the plenitude of the apostolic tradition for the local Church, but also at a polemical anti-Latin discourse, which makes use of papal iconic portraits in contexts with strong ecclesiastic imprint.

Keywords

• rădăuți middle byzantine iconography
• late byzantine iconography
• post-byzantine iconography
• popes of rome
• apsidal programs
• polemical imagery