What is the Donation of Constantine?

The Donation of Constantine is a medieval forgery claiming that Constantine the Great surrendered his power to the Church which then allowed him to rule. It was used to pressure monarchs into complying with the wishes of the pope.

What influence did the Donation of Constantine have?

The Donation of Constantine was used to pressure the Frankish king Pepin the Short into surrendering the lands he had conquered from the Lombards to the Church. It was also used to pressure later monarchs.

When was the Donation of Constantine discovered to be a forgery?

The Donation of Constantine was revealed as a forgery by the priest and scholar Lorenzo Valla in c. 1439-1440.

Has the Catholic Church ever admitted the Donation of Constantine was a forgery?

The Catholic Church publicly admitted the Donation of Constantine was a forgery in 1929 and returned the lands it had acquired from Pepin the Short to Italy.

Donation of Constantine Timeline

Definition

The Donation of Constantine (Donatio Constantini or the Donatio) is a medieval forgery dated to the 8th century purporting to be an original 4th-century document in which the Roman emperor Constantine the Great (r. 306-337) granted supreme temporal and spiritual power to the Church.

More about: Donation of Constantine

Timeline

751 - 756
Probable dates for the composition of the forgery known as The Donation of Constantine by the Roman Catholic Church.
753
Possible first use of The Donation of Constantine in coercing Pepin the Short to donate his lands to the Church.
778
First documented use of The Donation of Constantine by Pope Adrian I trying to coerce Charlemagne.
1054
Most dramatic use of The Donation of Constantine by Pope Leo IX to justify Church's supremacy and involvement in temporal affairs.
1439 - 1440
The Donation of Constantine proven a forgery by priest and scholar Lorenzo Valla.

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