History of the Popes, Volume I: Their Church and State

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…Ranke has given us not only history, but literature, showing that the noble language which he wielded was adapted, not merely for setting forth the investigations of science and the speculations of philosophy, but also for clothing human thought and historical facts in garments of grace and beauty… –William Clark, Special Introduction, 1901

History of the Popes: Their Church and State in three volumes, by German historian Leopold von Ranke, was first published in German in 1834-36, and translated into English by E. Fowler in 1901. Von Ranke described the papacy not only as a clerical institution, but also as a political power. In volume I (books I-IV), von Ranke recounts the history of the papacy from its inception to the sixteenth century. Although praised by many as a masterpiece, both Catholics and Protestants criticized this book as too biased. As was the case in his other books, von Ranke’s writing was based on eye-witness accounts, in this instance the use of private papers in Rome and Venice.