Pope Innocent X in the context of "Hierarchy of genres"

⭐ In the context of a hierarchy of genres, how did the novel initially fare compared to established literary forms like epic poetry?

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⭐ Core Definition: Pope Innocent X

Pope Innocent X (6 May 1574 – 7 January 1655), born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (or Pamphili), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 September 1644 to his death, in January 1655.

Born in Rome of a family from Gubbio in Umbria who had come to Rome during the pontificate of Pope Innocent IX, Pamphili was trained as a lawyer and graduated from the Collegio Romano. He followed a conventional cursus honorum, following his uncle Girolamo Pamphili as auditor of the Rota, and like him, attaining the position of cardinal-priest of Sant'Eusebio. Before becoming pope, Pamphili served as a papal diplomat to Naples, France, and Spain.

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👉 Pope Innocent X in the context of Hierarchy of genres

A hierarchy of genres is any formalization which ranks different genres in an art form in terms of their prestige and cultural value.

In literature, the epic was considered the highest form, for the reason expressed by Samuel Johnson in his Life of John Milton: "By the general consent of criticks, the first praise of genius is due to the writer of an epick poem, as it requires an assemblage of all the powers which are singly sufficient for other compositions." Below that came lyric poetry, and comic poetry, with a similar ranking for drama. The novel took a long time to establish a firm place in the hierarchy, doing so only as belief in any systematic hierarchy of forms expired in the 19th century.

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Pope Innocent X in the context of Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) is a fountain in the Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy. It was designed in 1651 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for Pope Innocent X whose family palace, the Palazzo Pamphili, faced onto the piazza as did the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone of which Innocent was the sponsor.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Hierarchy of genres ← Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Pamphili → Catholic Church → Papal States → Rome → Gubbio → Umbria → Pope Innocent IX → Collegio Romano → Cursus honorum → Roman Rota → Cardinal-priest → Sant'Eusebio → Kingdom of Naples → Kingdom of France → Habsburg Spain →