In this paper we try to justify a answer to an old problem: when and how Hildebrand of Soana (1020?-1085) became the protagonist of papal power? A persistent consensus has led historians to look to the same certainty: the man crowned as Gregory VII dominated the Western ecclesiastical scene since his entry into the papal court in 1049, through an unwavering leadership. His ascension is supposed as continuous and unstoppable, and its appointed as the fator that endowed the papacy a unitary policy and programmatic actions. But for many contemporary, this was not evident. A text contains elements for formulating another perspective: Ad Heinricum IV Imperatorem libri VII. Written by Benzo (?-1089), Bishop of Alba, the narrative is a valuable document about the political ascent of Hildebrand and provides evidence that the bishop of Alba established the extent to which the controversial pope would be remembered as much for the Church, as the historiography. Perhaps, Benzo of Alba has invented Gregory VII.
Gregory VII; historiography; medieval Papacy