The Popes of Rome in Post-Byzantine Wall Paintings from Romania

This study aims to bring forth two iconographic contexts whichrelate to the issue of the primacy of Rome. The first one dwells upon theevidence taken from Byzantium and the Balkans, while the second follows thisline of investigation into the Romanian Post-Byzantine heritage. The cult ofSaint Peter was strong enough in Byzantium as to prevent any refutation of hisprimacy, even during the harshest quarrels with Rome. This could explain thepresence of Roman Popes (most frequently of St. Sylvester) in the procession ofsaintly bishops depicted in Moldavian apses at the end of the 15th c. and in the16th c., but equally in Wallachian iconographic programs from the 16th and 17thc. This phenomenon might hint at a claim to the plenitude of the apostolictradition for the local Church, but also at a polemical anti-Latin discourse,which makes use of papal iconic portraits in contexts with strong ecclesiasticimprint.