View source for Rota (papal signature)

{{Short description|Symbols}}
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{{For|the canonical tribunal|Roman Rota}}
{{Notability|date=July 2021}} 

[[Image:Alexander III Rota.png|thumb|''Rota'' of [[Pope Alexander III]], AD&nbsp;1175]]
The '''''rota''''' is one of the symbols used by the [[pope]] to authenticate documents such as [[papal bull]]s. It is a cross inscribed in two concentric circles. [[Pope Leo IX]] was the first pope to use it.

The four inner quadrants contain: "[[Saint Peter|''Petrus'']]", "[[Paul of Tarsus|''Paulus'']]", the pope's name, and the pope's ordinal number. The pope's [[autograph]] or motto is sometimes inscribed between the concentric circles.

A ''rota'' was also used by monarchs for the authentication of documents and [[diploma|diplomas]].{{efn|For instance, it was used by [[William I of Sicily|William I]] and [[William II of Sicily]].<ref>Antonia Gransden, ''Legends, Traditions, and History in Medieval England'', Continuum International Publishing Group, 1992, p. 184.</ref>}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Catholicism}}
* ''[[Signum manus]]''
* [[Tughra]]
* [[Khelrtva]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|rota}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110522063629/http://asv.vatican.va/en/dipl/rota_it.htm Examples of the rota]

{{Christian crosses}}
{{Papal symbols and rituals}}

[[Category:Documents of the Catholic Church]]
[[Category:Seals (insignia)]]


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