Pieve

A Pieve (Italian outdated for parish ) was in the Middle Ages in rural northern and central Italy, a parish and a church with special rights such as the right to baptism and burial. Only one Pieve had a baptismal font and a cemetery. There was this pievi in large numbers, often in cities than competition of autonomous urban population feudal Episcopal Church. An important exception in this respect is Santa Maria della Pieve in Arezzo.

Origin and History of the term

Pieve is derived from the Latin plebs, plebis. In the history of the plebeians in the Roman Empire, this term is historically understandable, the Pieve in the sense defined here to the plebs rustica, ie the working rural population within cities ( oppida ), founded.

As in Late Antiquity, in the wake of the Great Migration of the Roman social and administrative structures fell slowly, first established itself in inaccessible mountainous and other remote regions, later coverage an autonomous local self-government system for the rural population. With the spread of Christianity since the 5th century, gradually formed the village clerical structures ( parishes ). In these Christian communities in the country, the parish also had the case-law and took tithes from the peasants.

The core functions of the ecclesiastical parishes ( Assembly of the People to worship, consummation of ceremonies ) were established around the 10th century in Northern and Central Italy. During this period came the extended Pieve - term parish administrative make added also the narrower meaning of the church building itself, which were often built on the foundations of Roman villas.

The term in the Italian place name

The historic Pieve - term, as explained, no longer in use. It has been kept, however, in many place names, generally in rural areas.

Examples:

  • History of Catholicism
  • Roman Catholic Church in Italy
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