Para una historia del derecho canónico-político medieval: la donación de constantino

Abstract

Among the numerous forgeries of documents committed during the Middle Ages, "Constantine's donation" (donatio Constantini) is found to be one the most interesting ones, both to the studies of medieval canon law and the history of western political thinking. It is also one of the most transcendental documents from a historical-juridical perspective. This article attempts to account for the historical context in which such a text was born, the ideas contained in it, and the critical analysis to which it has been subjected by specialists; also, some historical-juridical interpretations are suggested.