The Desert of Ildefonsus of Toledo. Notes on the Construction of Episcopal Authority in the Visigothic Kingdom

Abstract

This study focuses on the uses of the image of desert in De itinere deserti by Ildefonsus of Toledo, a brief work written in the mid-seventh century regarding the ideal of the saint’s austerity and discipline. By carefully selecting and combining biblical and patristic elements, Ildefonsus underscores the prominent place of the desert in a work offering salvation guidelines for all the baptized. In this framework, De itinere deserti invites to explore the construction of episcopal authority in the seventh century and, more specifically, in the Toledan context.