The 'Schola Cantorum' in Rome during the High Middle Ages

This dissertation concerns the liturgical disposition of twelfth- and thirteenth-century Roman churches. It focuses on the form and function of the architectural feature found in the naves of Roman churches and commonly called a 'schola cantorum'. The Introduction explains the current state of scholarship and defines the problem. Chapter I treats the form of forth- through ninth-century nave precincts in Rome. It is not meant to be a comprehensive history and analysis of the early chancels, rather, it serves to set the stage for the twelfth century enclosures, to define their distinctive and innovative features in the context of the previous Roman situation. Through an analysis of contemporary texts the early nave chancels are shown not to be 'scholae', but presbyteria. The second chapter focuses on the physical, archeological, and literary evidence for the locations and forms of twelfth- and thirteenth-century nave precincts in Rome. It analyzes the size, shape, location, distinctive features, and style of ornamentation of the best-documented medieval enclosures, and differentiates them from the earlier precincts. The final chapter treats the function of high medieval precincts. It attempts to analyze the liturgical and historical situation surrounding the creation of the earliest known enclosures--those at S. Clemente, S. Maria in Cosmedin, and S. Maria in Trastevere. It also re-evaluates methods used in the analyses of the function of medieval church furniture. This chapter demonstrates that the twelfth-century precincts were not 'scholae cantorum' or presbyteria, nor were they the final stage in a continuous development of nave precincts in Rome. Rather, they belong to the tradition of canons' choirs, and as such must be considered in conjunction with canons' choirs found in medieval churches throughout western Europe. Monumental choirs first appeared in Rome during the papacy of Paschal II; their primary function was to house and insure the choral chanting of the divine office. The choirs were an integral part of a wide-scale remodeling of Roman churches in the twelfth-century, which in turn formed only one part of a major renovation of the city of Rome begun under Paschal II. The conclusion raises new questions concerning the interrelationships between the twelfth-century Roman renovatio and the major liturgical centers of western Europe during the high middle ages, and points to new avenues of investigation.