600 years ago, the Council of Constance was formed. After unsuccessful attempts by the Council of Pisa to resolve conflicts between two (and latterly three) cardinals all vying to become Pope, the religious world turned to Constance for help. The main purpose of the council was originally to end disagreements caused by some confusion that followed the Avignon Papacy, which was the scandal caused when, from 1309-1377, the Popes at the time decided to live in Avignon, France instead of Rome, Italy, due to a disagreement between the Papacy and the French monarchy. This lasted until Pope Gregory XI returned to Rome in 1377.
This, however, was not the only goal of the Council. Their second aim was
to continue to build on the work begun by the Council of Pisa with regard to the
condemnation of Czech priest, philosopher and Christian church reformer Jan Hus
on the 6th July 1415. Hus was found guilty of heresy and so, because
he preached and upheld religious beliefs that did not correspond with those of
the authorities, he was imprisoned and later executed.
Constance also boasts a statue that caused a great deal of controversy
when it was first erected. This statue, Imperia,
is nine metres high and weighs a grand total of 18 tonnes. It rotates around
its axis once every four minutes, and consists of a nude prostitute holding one
figure in each hand. In her right/left hand is a nude Pope Martin V and in her
left/right hand is a nude Emperor Sigismund. The statue relates to a short story
told by Balzac, in which he says that it symbolises that Imperia seduces
cardinals and princes at the Council of Constance and has power over them all.
It has been described as the icon of Constance, and is said to ‘satirically symbolise’
the prosperous prostitution trade that the region was so famed for.
These are not Constance’s only notable historic achievements, though, as
there is one that dates all the way back as far as 4000BC. These ‘pile
dwellings’ can be found all around the Alps in Germany, Switzerland, Austria,
France, Italy, and Slovenia, and have been remarkably well preserved due to the
fact that they were built in marshland-type areas by lakes and rivers.
As well as offering cultural insight and appreciation for the area,
Constance’s extensive and fascinating history also lets us look to the past to
learn how best to face the future, in particular with regards to the lessons it
offers in relation to the theme of the session: tolerance and justice.
Imogen Findlay (UK) and Panagiotis Chatzistratis (GR)