Constantine's Donation: Medieval Forgery

The eighth-century forgery known as Emperor Constantine's donation of Rome to Pope Sylvester I greatly impacted medieval politics, asserting papal authority over key cities. According to the legend, Constantine became a Christian after Sylvester healed him of leprosy, giving him control over several churches. In 1440, Catholic priest Lorenzo Valla exposed the forgery by noting discrepancies in the Latin used, leading the Catholic Church to disown the document from its official canon.