Il Liber pontificalis, i longobardi e la nascita del dominio territoriale della chiesa romana

The aim of this work is to understand the main reasons leading to an important historical event like the birth of the temporal power of the Roman church, in order to explain the papal rejection of the extension of the Lombard kingdom to the whole of Italy. To this end the present paper analyzes the roman sources, especially the Liber Pontificalis, its origin, nature, purposes and intended audience. The Liber is not an emanation of the popes but a text that is designed and created by the clercs of the Lateran palace, on behalf of the roman catholic church. This difference is not huge, but susbstantial and allows us to compare the evidence on the church history emerging from the text in its evolution (from the beginning of VIth. to the end of VIIIth. century) with the one given from the papal sources, getting suggestions of interest for the understanding of this historical period. In particular, by this comparison we realize that behind the political choices of the papacy during the VIIIth. century there has been an identification by popes like Stephen II with interests and views of byzantine Italy and a complementary and long lasting lack of communication and mutual understanding between the Roman church and the Lombard Kingdom.