Pandulf Verraccio

Pandulf was born in the Papal States, and first came to England in 1211, when he was commissioned by Pope Innocent III to negotiate with King John during the Investiture Controversy.[1] He is often erroneously called Cardinal Pandulph or Pandulph Masca due to being confused with Cardinal Pandolfo da Lucca,[2] who himself was confused with Cardinal Pandulf of Pisa and erroneously given the Pisan family name Masca. His authentic surname may be rendered Verraccio, Verracchio or Verracclo.

Obtaining no satisfactory concessions in John's efforts to impose Caesaropapism upon the Catholic Church in England, Pandulf is alleged to have produced the papal sentence of excommunication in the very presence of the king. In May 1213 Pandulf again visited England to receive the king's submission. The ceremony took place at the Templar church at Dover, and on the following day John, of his own motion, formally surrendered England to the Holy See and received it back as a papal fief.[1]

Pandulf repaid this act of humility by using every means to avert the threatened French invasion of England. For nearly a year he was superseded by the cardinal-legate Nicholas of Tusculum; but returning in 1215 was present at the conference of Runnymede, when the Magna Carta was sealed. He rendered valuable aid to John who rewarded him with the see of Norwich, England in 1215, however he was not consecrated for a number of years.[3][4] The arrival of the cardinal-legate Gualo in 1216 relegated Pandulf to a secondary position; but after Gualo's departure in 1218 he came forward once more,[1] after having been appointed papal legate again on 1 September 1218.[4]

Pandulf is known to have sent a letter to Peter des Roches (who was bishop of Winchester) between 1218-1221 urgently requesting action against rampant brigandage on the roads near Winchester (one of the largest cities of England at the time). He wrote:

My lord bishop, the complaints of the poor and of women ought especially to move you, that nobody can travel near Winchester without being held up, robbed, and worst of all—should there not be enough goods on them—people are being killed. Truly, because this sort of thing is a disgrace to the lord king, and to you, and it is going on to the scandal and disorder of the whole kingdom, we ask, advise and firmly instruct your wisdom, as you value the forgiveness of your sins, that you cause this business to be sorted out, so that we hear no further complaints.

During the years 1219-1221 there are at least 68 letters from or addressed to Pandulf which survive detailing his handling of diplomatic affairs, domestic affairs, national defense, the Exchequer, and his coordination with the Justiciar Hubert de Burgh, the bishop of Winchester (regency member) Peter des Roches, and the vice-chancellor Ralph Neville.[5] In fact, the only two members of Henry III's regency government who have more surviving letters are Ralph Neville and Hubert de Burgh. He sent and received several letters regarding diplomacy including the reception of a letter from Llywelyn the Great regarding diplomatic affairs with wales.[6]

As representing the pope Pandulf claimed a control over Hubert de Burgh and the other ministers of the young Henry III; and his correspondence shows that he interfered in every department of the administration. His arrogance was tolerated while the regency was still in need of papal assistance; but in 1221 Hubert de Burgh and the primate Stephen Langton successfully moved the pope to recall Pandulf and to send no other legate a latere (of the highest rank) in his place. His legatine commission was terminated by the summer of 1221.[4] He was finally consecrated bishop on 29 May 1222.[3]

Pandulf retained the see of Norwich, but from this time drops out of English politics. He died in Rome on 16 September 1226,[3] but his body was taken to Norwich for burial.[1]

• Pandulf Verraccio is one of the main characters in the stage play The Life and Death of King John by William Shakespeare. Pandulf Verraccio's role centers first upon the Investiture Controversy between King John and Pope Innocent III and Verraccio's subsequent role in blocking the French invasion.

• British History Online Bishops of Norwich accessed on 29 October 2007
• Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
• Vincent, Nicholas (1995). "The Election of Pandulph Verracclo as Bishop of Norwich (1215)". Historical Research. 68 (166): 143–63. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2281.1995.tb01997.x.
• Vincent, Nicholas (2004). "Pandulf (d. 1226)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/21230. Retrieved 12 December 2015.

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