Seminar: “William Durandus: Biography, Works, and the Case for Reappraisal”
Rosemary Williams (Mellon Fellow, PIMS)
William Durandus (c. 1230–1296) was one of the most influential men of his era: he authored the Speculum iudiciale, a highly popular treatise on canon law; the Rationale divinorum officiorum, a treatise on the liturgy which later became the first non-biblical book Gutenberg printed and the most printed non-scriptural book in Europe for 300 years; and served as papal governor for a large area of modern Italy. Despite his having authored such enduring works, scholars today know relatively little about Durandus himself and many questions remain about his life. This presentation will provide an overview of the work I hope to accomplish at PIMS this year on William Durandus. I will introduce William Durandus and his major works, discuss the need for further scholarship on him, and provide preliminary findings of my efforts to reappraise aspects of his life.