The Council of Pisa (1409) was called by cardinals of both obediences of the Great Western Schism (1378–1418). When Gregory xii, the Roman claimant to the papacy, and Benedict xiii, his rival from Avignon, failed to keep their promises, these cardinals joined together in summoning an assembly from across Europe. Their initial effort failed to obtain ecclesiastical reunion, but the council opened the way to the successful effort of the Council of Constance (1414–18). In this collection of six articles Hélène Millet focuses on the people who attempted to resolve the schism. Since only one of these articles had appeared in a journal, having all of them between two covers is a great advantage to students of the Schism and its aftermath. Most of these articles are concerned, as the title suggests, with the persons involved in the council. One article, the first, focuses on a Swedish manuscript of documents about the council (Uppsala, ms C 47), showing its relationship to a codex in the Vatican Library (ms Vat. Lat. 3477). This helps to illustrate the breadth of interest in the reunification of the Church. The second article is the most substantial. It is an edition of a new list of the participants in the Council of Pisa. This list is found in a manuscript in Turin (Bibl. Naz. ms E Univ. E II 3), and has been augmented for this collection with additional material. The result is a very useful picture of the membership of the assembly. Each participant is identified in detail. Among the information given is the roles of clerics as representatives of princes and as proctors of absent prelates. Perhaps most interesting is the representation of abbots and priors by proctors. Thus Richard Conyngston, canon and official of York, represented the king of England and dozens of English abbots. This leads easily to Millet's discussion of representation as the source of the council's legitimacy. The remaining articles cover representation of specific powers at Pisa. The representation of the kingdom of France is reconstructed using multiple manuscript sources. The Angevin rulers of Anjou and Provence receive the same treatment. Among the Angevin representatives was Honorat Bovet, the author of the Tree of battles. Most interesting is Millet's detailed reconstruction of Portugal's involvement in the council. Portugal had passed from obedience to Avignon to that of Rome. At Pisa, Portugal embraced the conciliar solution to the Schism. Millet has provided a detailed chronology of the Council of Pisa from the first convocation in June of 1408 to the last session of Gregory xii's Council of Cividale in August of 1409. The entire volume is extensively indexed by names and places. These features make the collection all the more useful to scholars.
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