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Jacopone da Todi

(Encyclopedia)Jacopone da Todi yäkōpôˈnā dä tôˈdē [key], 1230?–1306, Italian religious poet, whose name was originally Jacopo Benedetti. After the sudden death of his wife, he renounced (c.1268) his care...

Heracleopolis

(Encyclopedia)Heracleopolis hərăkˌlēŏpˈəlĭs [key], ancient city, N Egypt, just S of El Faiyum. One of the oldest Egyptian cities, it was in existence before 3000 b.c. and was the capital (c.2155–c.2050) o...

Nicholas II, pope

(Encyclopedia)Nicholas II (c.1010–61), pope (1058–61), a Roman named Gerard, b. Lorraine, France; successor to Pope Stephen IX. A strong proponent of papal reform, he issued (1059) the Papal Election Decree in ...

Salamanca, University of

(Encyclopedia)Salamanca, University of, at Salamanca, Spain; founded 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, reorganized 1254 by Alfonso X of Castile and León. It has faculties of philosophy, philology, geography and history...

Colonna

(Encyclopedia)Colonna kōlônˈnä [key], noble Roman family that played a leading part in the history of Rome from the 12th to the 16th cent. They were hereditary enemies of the Orsini and Caetani families, genera...

Angoulême, Charles de Valois, comte d'Auvergne, duc d'

(Encyclopedia)Angoulême, Charles de Valois, comte d'Auvergne, duc d' shärl də välwäˈ kôNt dōvĕrnˈyə dük däNgo͞olĕmˈ [key], 1573–1650, illegitimate son of King Charles IX of France. He turned again...

Cáceres

(Encyclopedia)Cáceres käˈthārās [key], city, capital of Cáceres prov., W central Spain, in Extremadur...

Valerius Maximus

(Encyclopedia)Valerius Maximus vəlērˈēəs măkˈsĭməs [key], c.20 b.c.–c.a.d. 50, Roman author. Little is known of his life. His Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX [nine books of memorable deeds and...

Ptolemy X

(Encyclopedia)Ptolemy X (Ptolemy Alexander), d. 88 b.c., king of ancient Egypt (107 b.c.–88 b.c.), of the Macedonian dynasty, brother of Ptolemy IX. He was governor in Cyprus when called (110 b.c.) by his mother ...

canon law

(Encyclopedia)canon law, in the Roman Catholic Church, the body of law based on the legislation of the councils (both ecumenical and local) and the popes, as well as the bishops (for diocesan matters). It is the la...