The Extravagantes of John XXII. Reconstructive notes in the seventh centenary

Abstract

This essay deepens the understanding of the collection of decrees called Extravagantes Iohannis XXII, included in the Corpus Iuris Canonici, on the occasion of the seventh centenary of its compilation. The legal, formal and substantial profiles of the collection cannot be correctly understood without a prior framing of the historical context in which it is situated. The figure and work of John XXII, the pope who autored the decretals in question, and the role of Zenzelino dei Cassani, the compiler of the collection, are therefore examined. We then move on to a close study of the Extravagantes Iohannis XXII, with reference to the formative genre and the formal characteristics of chronological and private collection, with hints of its possible public relevance. The manuscript circulation of the collection in the medieval period is therefore considered, along with the editorial activities that begin to manifest with the advent of printing. The decrees collected in the collection are still being examined, and an attempt is made to frame their contents in a systematic key. The collection of acquisitions made finally allows us to draw general conclusions on the entire subject addressed.