The "Autonomous" Imperial Coronation of Ludwig the Bavarian, 1328 in Rome

Ludwig the Bavarian’s (Lewis of Bavaria) imperial coronation 1328 in Rome was one of the most unusual during the middle ages and has been puzzling to contemporaries and historians alike. In contrast to a long and unbroken tradition since Otto the Great, Ludwig was crowned emperor without a pope being involved. The questions who else crowned Ludwig, in what way the coronation was carried out, and how Ludwig legitimized this form of elevation to imperial dignity still remain.
This event took place in the context of a conflict that was labeled the last struggle of empire and papacy. Pope John XXII caused the conflict when he claimed the right to approve the Roman-German king who eventually was to be crowned emperor by the pope. When he did not acknowledge Ludwig’s election as Roman-German king, Ludwig refused to resign, whereupon the pope excommunicated the king. As a response, Ludwig started his Italian expedition. The conflict reached its peak during his stay in Rome. There he let himself crown emperor, later on, on account of his imperial authority, declared his adversary Pope John XXII deposed and after that installed a new pope.

In this paper, I will present the results of my research regarding the identity of those who crowned Ludwig and the characteristics of this coronation. An analysis of an allegedly second imperial coronation by the antipope will follow. Then, I will discuss what this ‘autonomous’ coronation can tell us about Ludwig’s concept of emperorship and how this form of coronation was suitable to defend the empire’s legitimacy. Finally, I want to touch upon the question whether Marsilius of Padua, the author of the famous Defensor pacis, can be identified as the originator of the underlying political ideas.