Holiness on the Move: Relic Translations and the Affirmation of Authority on the Italian Edge of the Carolingian World

Between the eighth and ninth centuries many kings, dukes counts in Carolingian Europe promoted collection of relics cathedrals and/or urban foundations both to centralize their power increase prestige. Their ventures were part a wider framework which mobility saints’ bodies, was strictly defined by authorities, put various political social agents relationship, often competitive, with each other. This paper considers two cases translation bodies at peripheries Empire: furta sacra St Mark (from Alexandria, Egypt Venice, 828) Bartholomew island Lipari Benevento, 838-839). Both hagiographical traditions narrate theft transport from Islamic world Italian peninsula boat. These are also related conscious ambitious plan strengthen local public authorities. The examines underlying strategies that led most important Mediterranean context circulation cultural models worlds, relocated order redefine balance.