Sedes

Sedes is a term with Latin origins used to denote a seat, throne, or base of operations, and by extension a place of authority or residence. In Latin, sedes refers to a physical seat and, metaphorically, to the position or jurisdiction held by a person or institution.

In ecclesiastical usage, sedes is frequently encountered in phrases that designate the see or jurisdiction of church authority. Sedes Apostolica is the Holy See, the Vatican’s central governance and spiritual authority. Sede vacante describes a see that is temporarily without a bishop while a successor is being chosen. Related expressions include sede episcopalis (the bishop’s see) and, more broadly, references to the location or seat of church governance.

In modern Romance languages, sede (singular) commonly means headquarters or main office. The plural sedes is used in Spanish and Portuguese to refer to multiple headquarters or seats. In Italian, the typical plural is sedi rather than sedes, reflecting language-specific plural forms. Beyond organizational contexts, sede can also appear in legal, diplomatic, or historical writing to denote the seat of power, residence, or origin of an institution or activity.

Cultural and linguistic notes emphasize that while sede remains widely understood as “seat,” its exact connotations vary by language and context—from a literal chair to the symbolic center of authority. See also See (ecclesiastical see), Holy See, and sede vacante.