ABSTRACT
Throughout most of the sixth century the sovereignty of Rome was disputed by the Goths and the Byzantines, which cast a shadow over the growth of Christianity in the city, but at the end of the century Gregory the Great, seen by the faithful as the founder of the Medieval papacy, became one of the great figures of Roman history by laying down the foundations of papal secular rule that stood the test of time until the nineteenth century. In the seventh century, unlike the sixth, the church embarked upon a series of building projects. In the late eighth century, Byzantine influence over Rome waned, and the west reasserted itself. Though the early church by the end of the sixth century had become a major beneficiary of land, most notably as the outcome of the Constantine donation, this gave it a legal status as a private landowner rather than a sovereign entity.
