In yet others ( England) the clash between royal and church power has been dramatic but indecisive. In some places (for example, France) the Church’s influence has strengthened royal power by providing religious sanctions against those who oppose it in other places (notably Germany and Italy, both of which are wholly or partly within the Holy Roman Empire) it has gravely weakened central authority by offering religious support for rebellious nobles. Church against stateįew kingdoms in western Europe have escaped its impact.
These centuries have also seen the western Church, headed by the popes in Rome, reach the height of its power. This has been promoted by the Church and seeks to direct the warlike activities of nobles and knights towards more humane ends than might otherwise have been the case.
The ad-hoc arrangements by which rulers have won the support of the feudal nobility have been underpinned by a quasi-religious code of chivalry. The previous centuries have seen the rise of feudalism in western Europe. What is happening in Europe in 1215CE Medieval Europe at its height