History of the Council of Trent

work by Sarpi

Also known as: “Istoria del concilio tridentino”

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

Paolo Sarpi's History of the Council of Trent, written between 1610 and 1618, is a significant work that critiques papal authority. The Council of Trent itself was a pivotal event for the Roman Catholic Church, convened from 1545 to 1563 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.31

Sarpi, an Italian patriot and scholar, argued against papal absolutism in his History, advocating for the separation of church and state. The Council of Trent, conversely, aimed to define Catholic doctrine and implement self-reform, ultimately revitalizing the church and solidifying the papacy's role in modern Roman Catholicism. Sarpi's work, published pseudonymously, was critical of the council's outcomes, particularly its perceived increase in the Curia's absolutism and its hardening of divisions with Protestants.231

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Paolo Sarpi
Sarpi’s writings.
…printed in his lifetime, the History of the Council of Trent, appeared in London in 1619, under the pseudonym Pietro Soave Polano. Though put on Rome’s Index of prohibited books, it went through several editions and five translations in 10 years.
Read More
…printed in his lifetime, the History of the Council of Trent, appeared in London in 1619, under the pseudonym Pietro Soave Polano. Though put on Rome’s Index of prohibited books, it went through several editions and five translations in 10 years.
Read More

historiography
Paolo Sarpi
…Istoria del Concilio Tridentino (1619; History of the Council of Trent). Sarpi, whose range of interests and accomplishments rivaled those of da Vinci, knew Greek and Hebrew and was able to do extensive historical research and to mold the results into a compelling literary form. Sarpi was a friar and,…
Read More
…Istoria del Concilio Tridentino (1619; History of the Council of Trent). Sarpi, whose range of interests and accomplishments rivaled those of da Vinci, knew Greek and Hebrew and was able to do extensive historical research and to mold the results into a compelling literary form. Sarpi was a friar and,…
Read More

Italy
The Republic of Venice
Sarpi’s The History of the Council of Trent (1619) later indicted the pope for usurping ecclesiastical authority and for manipulating the reform council to reinforce his power.
Read More
Sarpi’s The History of the Council of Trent (1619) later indicted the pope for usurping ecclesiastical authority and for manipulating the reform council to reinforce his power.
Read More