- Radboud University Nijmegen, Department of History, Art History and Classics, Department Memberadd
- Medieval Preaching, 15th Century Florence, Biblical Studies, Franciscan Studies, Renaissance Studies, Medieval Drama, and 18 moreMedieval History, History, Medieval Art, Italian Literature, Jewish - Christian Relations, Christian Iconography, Medieval Theology, History of Economics, Biblical Medieval Exegesis, Dominican Order, Medieval education, Medieval Sermons, Sermon Studies, Incunabula, Early Modern Sermons, Renaissance drama, History of Reception of Biblical Texts, and Reception Studiesedit
- I completed in 2016 my PhD in Medieval History at Radboud University, Nijmegen (NL) with the dissertation ‘In the Mir... moreI completed in 2016 my PhD in Medieval History at Radboud University, Nijmegen (NL) with the dissertation ‘In the Mirror of the Prodigal Son: The Pastoral Uses of a Biblical Narrative (c. 1200-1550)’. In 2015, I received a Rubicon Fellowship from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) for the project ‘Crossing the Alps with Dante: Preaching Dante’s Commedia in Fifteenth-Century Europe’ to conduct research at the University of Leeds, where I stayed from 2015 to 2018.
In 2018/2019 I was Junior Core Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study of the Central European University, developing the project ‘Ordering Knowledge and Shaping Identity: Towards a Systematic Study of Lenten Sermon Collections’. This was the kick-off phase of a larger investigation on Lenten preaching as a powerful tool to shape religious identity and as a key form of ordering and transmitting knowledge. I developed this line of research in 2019 thanks to a Gerda Henkel Stiftung Research Grant and my project 'Lenten sermon bestsellers: Shaping society in late medieval Europe (1470-1520)', which received the NWO support in the form of a Veni Research Grant that allowed me to work at Radboud University for two years (2020-21). I will further develop that project at the University of Bologna, where I started to work in September 2021 as Ricercatore a tempo determinato.
Please note that articles for which publishing rights do not allow free online dissemination might be available upon personal request. Feel free to email me if you are interested: [email protected]
Further information can be found on my CV.edit
[English below] L’accesso al credito e le relazioni di potere che si articolavano intorno ad esso sono uno degli aspetti cardine delle società italiana tra tardo medioevo e prima età moderna. Le diverse modalità (lecite, illecite,... more
[English below]
L’accesso al credito e le relazioni di potere che si articolavano intorno ad esso sono uno degli aspetti cardine delle società italiana tra tardo medioevo e prima età moderna. Le diverse modalità (lecite, illecite, dubbie) di procurarsi denaro si intrecciavano infatti con questioni legate alla sfera economica, politica, giuridica e religiosa. Ricostruire la storia del credito permette quindi di comprendere meglio la società dell’epoca. Indagando tanto il terreno delle elaborazioni teoriche quanto quello delle attuazioni concrete, il presente volume fornisce un ampio quadro del dibattito e delle maggiori acquisizioni storiografiche riguardo al credito e ai Monti di Pietà. Rifiutando schematiche semplificazioni, il volume indaga i molteplici protagonisti di vicende che coinvolsero teologi e giuristi, banchieri ebrei e cristiani, mercanti, predicatori e magistrature cittadine. Declinato secondo forme diverse di progettualità sociale, lo sviluppo del mercato del credito rispondeva a una diffusa necessità di denaro. E intorno alla richiesta di credito si giocava – allora come oggi – una parte significativa del grado di appartenenza riconosciuto o negato ai membri di una comunità politica.
English abstract:
Credit and Monti di Pietà in the Medieval and Early Modern Period: A Historiographical Assessment
Access to credit and the power relations around it were key aspects of Italian society between the late medieval and early modern period. Obtaining money (through legal, illegal, and “ambiguous” means) was deeply intertwined with broader issues concerning the economic, political, legal, and religious spheres. Tracing the history of credit therefore allows better understand the society of the time. By exploring theoretical disputes as well as concrete practices, this volume provides an overarching assessment of the historiographic debate and its main results about credit and the Monte di Pietà (an innovative form of Christian public banking). By refusing simplistic schematization, the book investigates the many protagonists of an history that involved theologians and jurists, Jewish and Christian bankers, merchants, preachers, and civic authorities. Developed along the lines of different and competing projects of society, the market of credit responded to a widespread need to access money. Then as now, a significant degree of the level of inclusion or exclusion experienced by different members of a political community was shaped by and around the demand for credit.
L’accesso al credito e le relazioni di potere che si articolavano intorno ad esso sono uno degli aspetti cardine delle società italiana tra tardo medioevo e prima età moderna. Le diverse modalità (lecite, illecite, dubbie) di procurarsi denaro si intrecciavano infatti con questioni legate alla sfera economica, politica, giuridica e religiosa. Ricostruire la storia del credito permette quindi di comprendere meglio la società dell’epoca. Indagando tanto il terreno delle elaborazioni teoriche quanto quello delle attuazioni concrete, il presente volume fornisce un ampio quadro del dibattito e delle maggiori acquisizioni storiografiche riguardo al credito e ai Monti di Pietà. Rifiutando schematiche semplificazioni, il volume indaga i molteplici protagonisti di vicende che coinvolsero teologi e giuristi, banchieri ebrei e cristiani, mercanti, predicatori e magistrature cittadine. Declinato secondo forme diverse di progettualità sociale, lo sviluppo del mercato del credito rispondeva a una diffusa necessità di denaro. E intorno alla richiesta di credito si giocava – allora come oggi – una parte significativa del grado di appartenenza riconosciuto o negato ai membri di una comunità politica.
English abstract:
Credit and Monti di Pietà in the Medieval and Early Modern Period: A Historiographical Assessment
Access to credit and the power relations around it were key aspects of Italian society between the late medieval and early modern period. Obtaining money (through legal, illegal, and “ambiguous” means) was deeply intertwined with broader issues concerning the economic, political, legal, and religious spheres. Tracing the history of credit therefore allows better understand the society of the time. By exploring theoretical disputes as well as concrete practices, this volume provides an overarching assessment of the historiographic debate and its main results about credit and the Monte di Pietà (an innovative form of Christian public banking). By refusing simplistic schematization, the book investigates the many protagonists of an history that involved theologians and jurists, Jewish and Christian bankers, merchants, preachers, and civic authorities. Developed along the lines of different and competing projects of society, the market of credit responded to a widespread need to access money. Then as now, a significant degree of the level of inclusion or exclusion experienced by different members of a political community was shaped by and around the demand for credit.
Research Interests: Medieval Italy, Medieval Jewish History, Fifteenth century history, Late Medieval economic and social history, Renaissance Italy, and 7 moreHistory of the Franciscan Order, Medieval Economic and Social History, History Banking, History of Money and Banking, Social History of Credit, Monti di Pietà, and Storia dei Monti di pietà e dei banchi ebraici
Codificate sulla base della Scrittura e divulgate attraverso una pluralità di testi e immagini, le opere di misericordia fornirono a istituzioni e città un riferimento fondamentale nell’individuare bisogni primari e interventi esemplari... more
Codificate sulla base della Scrittura e divulgate attraverso una pluralità di testi e immagini, le opere di misericordia fornirono a istituzioni e città un riferimento fondamentale nell’individuare bisogni primari e interventi esemplari della carità pubblica.
I saggi raccolti in questo volume si interrogano sulla trasformazione delle politiche di misericordia tra medioevo e prima età moderna. Grazie a un approccio multidisciplinare, il volume indaga come la misericordia venne declinata quale virtù politica, tesa a rendere meno feroce la società, mitigando il vivere comune in nome dell’ideale evangelico. La riflessione teologica e la retorica della carità servirono – non senza ambiguità − a catalizzare energie, a elaborare progetti sociali, a rendere riconoscibili e credibili antiche e recenti istituzioni, a sostenere politiche di soccorso e, anche, di controllo e disciplinamento. In nome della medesima carità si poteva infatti sia elargire un aiuto generalizzato, sia attuare un’attenta selezione, basata sull’idea che l’assistenza era un diritto riservato ad alcuni ma precluso a molti, giudicati indesiderati, pericolosi e viziosi.
I saggi raccolti in questo volume si interrogano sulla trasformazione delle politiche di misericordia tra medioevo e prima età moderna. Grazie a un approccio multidisciplinare, il volume indaga come la misericordia venne declinata quale virtù politica, tesa a rendere meno feroce la società, mitigando il vivere comune in nome dell’ideale evangelico. La riflessione teologica e la retorica della carità servirono – non senza ambiguità − a catalizzare energie, a elaborare progetti sociali, a rendere riconoscibili e credibili antiche e recenti istituzioni, a sostenere politiche di soccorso e, anche, di controllo e disciplinamento. In nome della medesima carità si poteva infatti sia elargire un aiuto generalizzato, sia attuare un’attenta selezione, basata sull’idea che l’assistenza era un diritto riservato ad alcuni ma precluso a molti, giudicati indesiderati, pericolosi e viziosi.
Research Interests:
Introduction and Epilogue are available in open access - see links. In the Mirror of the Prodigal Son provides a comprehensive history of the function of the parable of the prodigal son in shaping religious identity in medieval and... more
Introduction and Epilogue are available in open access - see links.
In the Mirror of the Prodigal Son provides a comprehensive history of the function of the parable of the prodigal son in shaping religious identity in medieval and Reformation Europe. By investigating a wealth of primary sources, the book reveals the interaction between commentaries, sermons, religious plays, and images as a decisive factor in the increasing popularity of the prodigal son. Pietro Delcorno highlights the ingenious and multifaceted uses of the parable within pastoral activities and shows the pervasive presence of the Bible in medieval communication. The prodigal son narrative became the ideal story to convey a discourse about sin and penance, grace and salvation. In this way, the parable was established as the paradigmatic biography of any believer.
In the Mirror of the Prodigal Son provides a comprehensive history of the function of the parable of the prodigal son in shaping religious identity in medieval and Reformation Europe. By investigating a wealth of primary sources, the book reveals the interaction between commentaries, sermons, religious plays, and images as a decisive factor in the increasing popularity of the prodigal son. Pietro Delcorno highlights the ingenious and multifaceted uses of the parable within pastoral activities and shows the pervasive presence of the Bible in medieval communication. The prodigal son narrative became the ideal story to convey a discourse about sin and penance, grace and salvation. In this way, the parable was established as the paradigmatic biography of any believer.
Research Interests: Religious Conversion, Medieval Drama, Franciscan Studies, Religious History, Bible, and 19 moreBiblical Medieval Exegesis, Identity Formation, Martin Luther, Fifteenth century history, Medieval Sermons, Girolamo Savonarola, Reformation, Confession, Medieval Preaching, 15th Century Florence, Dominican Order, Basel, Sixteenth Century History, Parables, Confraternities studies, Bernardino da Siena, Sacre Rappresentazioni, Late medieval religious culture, and Parable of the Prodigal Son
Raccolta di dodici saggi frutto di alcune sessioni promosse dall'International Medieval Sermon Studies Society all'international Medieval Congress di Leeds, nel luglio 2016.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Nel Vangelo di Luca si narra di Lazzaro, un povero mendicante affamato e piagato alla porta di un ricco gaudente. La parabola ebbe grande fortuna nell’Italia e nell’Europa fra tardomedioevo e prima età moderna, grazie ai predicatori che... more
Nel Vangelo di Luca si narra di Lazzaro, un povero mendicante affamato e piagato alla porta di un ricco gaudente. La parabola ebbe grande fortuna nell’Italia e nell’Europa fra tardomedioevo e prima età moderna, grazie ai predicatori che ne fecero il loro cavallo di battaglia. Seguirne le metamorfosi – come fa questa documentata ricerca – significa pertanto approfondire i modi in cui una articolata comunicazione religiosa rappresentava la società del tempo, attraverso una serie di tematiche come le vesti, i segni del lusso, le regole della carità e la sfuggente identità del povero, la tensione fra ricchezza mondana e destino eterno, le strategie per coniugare denaro e salvezza, l’immaginario dell’aldilà.
Research Interests: Medieval History, Medieval Drama, Christian Iconography, Biblical Medieval Exegesis, Martin Luther, and 13 moreEarly Modern Sermons, Early Modern Drama, Medieval Sermons, History of Poverty, Fifteenth and Sixteenth century culture, Medieval Preaching, History of clothing and fashion, Funeral Rites, Parables, Sebastian Brant, Bernardino da Siena, History of Reception of Biblical Texts, and Geiler von Kaysersberg
RIASSUNTO-Partendo dalle celebri scene della predica di Antonio di Padova ai pesci e di Francesco d'Assisi agli uccelli, il contributo mette in luce come la predicazione dei Frati minori costituisse uno spazio discorsivo che dava voce e... more
RIASSUNTO-Partendo dalle celebri scene della predica di Antonio di Padova ai pesci e di Francesco d'Assisi agli uccelli, il contributo mette in luce come la predicazione dei Frati minori costituisse uno spazio discorsivo che dava voce e rappresentanza a nuovi segmenti della società urbana del Duecento. Dalle iniziative sperimentali di Francesco alle campagne di predicazione ben pianificate di Antonio di Padova e di Bertoldo di Ratisbona, i frati furono in grado di parlare a una società in profonda trasformazione, segnata da tensioni e paure. Le folle che si radunavano per ascoltare i predicatori erano mosse dalla percezione che ciò che veniva annunciato in un linguaggio accessibile era effettivamente rilevante per la loro vita. In qualche modo, all'interno di questo processo comunicativo, il predicatore si rivolgeva a una grande folla, eppure ogni persona tra gli ascoltatori-almeno in alcuni momenti-aveva l'impressione di essere il vero destinatario del discorso, come in una conversazione personale. Si sentivano cioè non parte di una folla indistinta, ma veri e propri interlocutori del predicatore.
Research Interests:
Monti di Pietà were first founded in the 1460s as public banks whose aim was to provide citizens with solidaristic credit. In this institution, the interplay between the objects pawned and the small money loans granted in exchange was... more
Monti di Pietà were first founded in the 1460s as public banks whose aim was to provide citizens with solidaristic credit. In this institution, the interplay between the objects pawned and the small money loans granted in exchange was vital and mediated by a wellorganized paper "ecosystem" of account books that served as written records and guarantees. In setting up the Monti, a specific type of paper inventory played a crucial role, namely the list of donations (either in money or in kind) made by different social actors. These actors' involvement (at times within choreographic ceremonies) was crucial to create consensus and gather the initial capital for a Monte. By focusing in particular on the rich documentation of the archive of the Monte di Pietà of Padua, this article highlights three key aspects of this type of inventory: how they traced the active involvement of several social groups in the city; how they recorded objects in transition from personal/household use value to financial value; how they served to build the memory of the "glorious" history of the institution.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Note: If you cannot have access to the book and you are interested in the full article, please contact me via email. Abstract: The paper focuses on an anonymous Latin Lenten sermon collection, the Peregrinus cum angelo, written... more
Note: If you cannot have access to the book and you are interested in the full article, please contact me via email.
Abstract:
The paper focuses on an anonymous Latin Lenten sermon collection, the Peregrinus cum angelo, written probably in the early fifteenth century. The Peregrinus appropriates Dante’s itinerary through hell, purgatory, and paradise by transforming it into a semi-dramatic narrative framework for its sermons. The preacher thus invites listeners to participate in a virtual and instructive pilgrimage through the realms of the afterlife, the new world that would welcome them at the end of their earthly life. However, the history of the circulation of this text offers us also an insight to another “new world.” The Peregrinus, though being manifestly elaborated in Italy, found a considerable dissemination in Germany, and stands among the first testimonies of the presence of the Commedia outside Italy. Within this new cultural context, Dante was a novelty and his vernacular verses could not be used in the pulpit. The text needed a cultural mediation, and the manuscripts of the Peregrinus copied in Germany unfold different strategies used by preachers to adapt these Dantesque sermons to the new type of audience.
Abstract:
The paper focuses on an anonymous Latin Lenten sermon collection, the Peregrinus cum angelo, written probably in the early fifteenth century. The Peregrinus appropriates Dante’s itinerary through hell, purgatory, and paradise by transforming it into a semi-dramatic narrative framework for its sermons. The preacher thus invites listeners to participate in a virtual and instructive pilgrimage through the realms of the afterlife, the new world that would welcome them at the end of their earthly life. However, the history of the circulation of this text offers us also an insight to another “new world.” The Peregrinus, though being manifestly elaborated in Italy, found a considerable dissemination in Germany, and stands among the first testimonies of the presence of the Commedia outside Italy. Within this new cultural context, Dante was a novelty and his vernacular verses could not be used in the pulpit. The text needed a cultural mediation, and the manuscripts of the Peregrinus copied in Germany unfold different strategies used by preachers to adapt these Dantesque sermons to the new type of audience.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: History of Plague, Lombardy (Late Middle Ages), Fifteenth century history, Black Death, Medieval Iconography, and 10 moreSiena, Medieval Hospitals, Medieval Preaching, Latin Medieval Hagiography, History of Charity, Frescoes, Confraternities studies, Bernardino da Siena, History of Lodi (Lombardia), and Ospedale di Santa Maria della Scala
Lenten sermon collections are fascinating and well-organized microcosms of late medieval religious culture. As ‘pragmatic’ texts, they were used by generations of preachers as precious tools to prepare intensified cycles of daily... more
Lenten sermon collections are fascinating and well-organized
microcosms of late medieval religious culture. As ‘pragmatic’ texts, they were used by generations of preachers as precious tools to prepare intensified cycles of daily preaching, which were meant to shape the religious identity of the communities and people. In the elaboration of these complex preaching systems, innovative communicative strategies were experimented along the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. A peculiar place among the new typologies of preaching aids is held by those texts that can be labelled as ‘visible’ Lenten sermon collections: they were based on a constant solicitation of the imagination of the listeners, who were asked to see – with their inner eye – what the preacher told them from the pulpit. The article will analyse three different ways used by preachers to connect words and images in order
to make ‘visible’ and ‘memorable’ their discourse for the audience. It will
exemplify the techniques to structure a ‘visible’ Lenten sermon collection
by analysing three collections, whose protagonists are a seraph, a soldier, and a pilgrim.
microcosms of late medieval religious culture. As ‘pragmatic’ texts, they were used by generations of preachers as precious tools to prepare intensified cycles of daily preaching, which were meant to shape the religious identity of the communities and people. In the elaboration of these complex preaching systems, innovative communicative strategies were experimented along the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. A peculiar place among the new typologies of preaching aids is held by those texts that can be labelled as ‘visible’ Lenten sermon collections: they were based on a constant solicitation of the imagination of the listeners, who were asked to see – with their inner eye – what the preacher told them from the pulpit. The article will analyse three different ways used by preachers to connect words and images in order
to make ‘visible’ and ‘memorable’ their discourse for the audience. It will
exemplify the techniques to structure a ‘visible’ Lenten sermon collection
by analysing three collections, whose protagonists are a seraph, a soldier, and a pilgrim.
Research Interests:
The article represents a first exploration of what can be defined the Lenten sermon collection of Aeneas, a text held in an incomplete form in Assisi, Biblioteca del Sacro Convento, Fondo Antico, ms. 557. The Lenten cycle is an early... more
The article represents a first exploration of what can be defined the Lenten sermon collection of Aeneas, a text held in an incomplete form in Assisi, Biblioteca del Sacro Convento, Fondo Antico, ms. 557. The Lenten cycle is an early testimony of a new typology of sermon collection, which was framed as a macro-narrative. The Virgilian sermon collection follows closely the description of Aeneas’ descent to the Underworld by reinterpreting Virgil’s account according to a moral-allegorical exegesis, which allows to align it (reducere) to the Gospel. By using extensively the reference to Virgil in preaching the Christian afterlife, the preacher presented his audience with a hellish, didactic Aeneid, apt to the pulpit and further enriched by references to Dante’s Commedia. The study of this exceptional text, therefore, sheds light on the innovations in religious communication developed between late fourteenth and early fifteenth century as well as on the parallel debates about the use of ‘pagan’ poets in Christian paideia.
L’articolo costituisce la prima esplorazione di quello che proponiamo di chiamare Quaresimale di Enea, un testo conservato in forma incompleta in Assisi, Biblioteca del Sacro Convento, Fondo Antico, ms. 557. Il quaresimale costituisce una precoce attestazione di una nuova tipologia di sermonari costruiti come un unico macro-racconto. I suoi sermoni seguono infatti passo a passo la discesa agli inferi di Enea, rileggendo il racconto di Virgilio in chiave allegorico-morale, così da ricondurlo (reducere) al Vangelo. Rendendo strutturale il riferimento a Virgilio nella predicazione dell’aldilà cristiano, agli ascoltatori era presentata un’Eneide infernale, didattica, ad usum pulpiti, ulteriormente arricchita dall’intreccio con i rimandi alla Commedia di Dante. Lo studio di questo sorprendente quaresimale virgiliano contribuisce così a illuminare sia le sperimentazioni in atto nella comunicazione religiosa tra fine Trecento e inizio Quattrocento sia i concomitanti dibattiti sull’utilizzo della poesia ‘pagana’ nella paideia cristiana.
L’articolo costituisce la prima esplorazione di quello che proponiamo di chiamare Quaresimale di Enea, un testo conservato in forma incompleta in Assisi, Biblioteca del Sacro Convento, Fondo Antico, ms. 557. Il quaresimale costituisce una precoce attestazione di una nuova tipologia di sermonari costruiti come un unico macro-racconto. I suoi sermoni seguono infatti passo a passo la discesa agli inferi di Enea, rileggendo il racconto di Virgilio in chiave allegorico-morale, così da ricondurlo (reducere) al Vangelo. Rendendo strutturale il riferimento a Virgilio nella predicazione dell’aldilà cristiano, agli ascoltatori era presentata un’Eneide infernale, didattica, ad usum pulpiti, ulteriormente arricchita dall’intreccio con i rimandi alla Commedia di Dante. Lo studio di questo sorprendente quaresimale virgiliano contribuisce così a illuminare sia le sperimentazioni in atto nella comunicazione religiosa tra fine Trecento e inizio Quattrocento sia i concomitanti dibattiti sull’utilizzo della poesia ‘pagana’ nella paideia cristiana.
Research Interests:
In the second half of the fifteenth century, the Florentine confraternal theatre became a key space to convey religious education and political discourse. Ideas about economic ethics were presented to the audience by means of exemplar... more
In the second half of the fifteenth century, the Florentine confraternal theatre became a key space to convey religious education and political discourse. Ideas about economic ethics were presented to the audience by means of exemplar stories, which were memorable and emotionally engaging. The article investigates how money, credit and usury were represented on the stage by analysing five sacre rappresentazioni (religious dramas) in which the banks and pawnshops played a central role. Beside traditional Christian topics (e.g. almsgiving, transitory goods, providence), the polemical dimension of some plays emerges, as it was functional to the ongoing campaign against Jewish pawnbrokers. Moreover, the playwrights intentionally brought on the stage topics such as the corruption of justice, the conversion/expulsion of the Jews, and the elusive identity of the poor, thus aiming to contribute to redefine society.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTE IN THE PDF OF THE FULL ARTICLE, IT CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE FOR 6 EUROS (SEE BELOW). OTHERWISE, YOU CAN CONTACT ME DIRECTELY
IF YOU ARE INTERESTE IN THE PDF OF THE FULL ARTICLE, IT CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE FOR 6 EUROS (SEE BELOW). OTHERWISE, YOU CAN CONTACT ME DIRECTELY
Research Interests: Economic History, Jewish History, Economic Ethics, Medieval Jewish History, Religious drama, and 9 moreFifteenth century history, Exempla, Medieval Economic and Social History, Monte di Pietà, 15th Century Florence, Renaissance Florence, Moneylenders, History of Money and Banking, and Sacre Rappresentazioni
L'articolo si concentra sull'abilità comunicativa di Vicent Ferrer e sulla sua capacità di miscelare catechesi e invenzione narrativa, analizzando sei versioni del sermone Repleti sunt omnes Spiritu Sancto. Gli schemi, le reportationes, i... more
L'articolo si concentra sull'abilità comunicativa di Vicent Ferrer e sulla sua capacità di miscelare catechesi e invenzione narrativa, analizzando sei versioni del sermone Repleti sunt omnes Spiritu Sancto. Gli schemi, le reportationes, i sermoni modello delle prediche tenute da Ferrer in diverse parti d'Europa mostrano come la festa di Pentecoste fornisse l'occasione per una vivace 'messa in scena' del racconto biblico e come la predicazione fornisse agli ascoltatori un accesso, mediato ma non banale, alla conoscenza della Scrittura. Nel sermone di Pentecoste, indicando la comunità apostolica come modello per i suoi ascoltatori, Ferrer sviluppava una rifl essione tanto sul ruolo della predicazione quanto sul disporsi ad accogliere lo Spirito Santo.
The article focuses on the communicative skills of Vincent Ferrer and on his ability to merge catechesis and narrative inventiveness. The analysis is conducted on six versions of the sermon Repleti sunt omnes Spiritu Sancto (notes, reportationes, and model sermons), which were preached by Ferrer in different parts of Europe. The texts highlight how Pentecost provided Ferrer with the opportunity to develop a lively dramatisation of the biblical episode and how preaching gave to the faithful a mediated, and yet not simplistic access to the Bible. By presenting the apostolic community as the exemplary model for his listeners, Ferrer elaborated on both the role of preaching and the way to welcome the Holy Spirit.
The article focuses on the communicative skills of Vincent Ferrer and on his ability to merge catechesis and narrative inventiveness. The analysis is conducted on six versions of the sermon Repleti sunt omnes Spiritu Sancto (notes, reportationes, and model sermons), which were preached by Ferrer in different parts of Europe. The texts highlight how Pentecost provided Ferrer with the opportunity to develop a lively dramatisation of the biblical episode and how preaching gave to the faithful a mediated, and yet not simplistic access to the Bible. By presenting the apostolic community as the exemplary model for his listeners, Ferrer elaborated on both the role of preaching and the way to welcome the Holy Spirit.
Research Interests:
The Florentine religious plays (sacre rappresentazioni) have been defined as a type of “preaching in the form of theatre”. This essay underlines the intrinsic link between this type of theatre, preaching and also the contemporary... more
The Florentine religious plays (sacre rappresentazioni) have been defined as a type of “preaching in the form of theatre”. This essay underlines the intrinsic link between this type of theatre, preaching and also the contemporary discussion on the procedures of justice, both earthly and eternal. By analyzing several religious plays from the second part of the fifteenth century, this contribution highlights the way these plays conveyed a vision of justice and its mechanisms. They did so through exemplary scenes of either condemnation or absolution which were connected on the one hand to the Florentine historical context and, on the other, to the theological themes of divine justice and salvation of the soul. In this way, these plays actively contributed to the formation of religious imagery, the elaboration of political discourse, and to the consolidation of the meaning of justice in both its concrete and eternal perspectives. In particular, the representation of the heavenly tribunal demonstrates how preaching was considered an essential element in the “procedures” of God’s justice. Therefore, on the stage the constitutive relationship between verbum et ius was presented in a new form.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The Quadragesimale peregrini is a sermon collection written before 1420 by an anonymous preacher, who composed a Lenten cycle largely based on a rewriting of Dante’s Commedia. In this quite exceptional text, the preacher guided his... more
The Quadragesimale peregrini is a sermon collection written before 1420 by an anonymous preacher, who composed a Lenten cycle largely based on a rewriting of Dante’s Commedia. In this quite exceptional text, the preacher guided his listeners through a sort of virtual pilgrimage that explored the Dantesque afterlife. This was accomplished by means of an innovative semi-dramatic form, whereby the religious instruction was developed through a lively narrative. The present contribution analyses the ways in which the preacher appropriated and interpreted some of the passages of the Commedia, often in combination with biblical and classical sources. Moreover, the essay points out that the narrative framework adopted by this cycle served to mediate the relationship between the preacher and his audience through a story. The result was a sophisticated communicative strategy, which can be considered as a precocious example of the innovative forms of Lenten preaching that characterized the fifteenth century.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A PDF COPY OF THE ARTICLE, PLEASE WRITE ME AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: [email protected]
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A PDF COPY OF THE ARTICLE, PLEASE WRITE ME AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: [email protected]
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The article explores the presence and function of texts by two spokesmen of the Franciscan Observance sub vicaris, namely Giovanni of Capestrano (d. 1456) and Jan Brugman (d. 1473), within a religious miscellany most probably used – if... more
The article explores the presence and function of texts by two spokesmen of the Franciscan Observance sub vicaris, namely Giovanni of Capestrano (d. 1456) and Jan Brugman (d. 1473), within a religious miscellany most probably used – if not composed – by the Brothers of the Common Life in the house of Lüchtenhof (literally, 'the court of light'), founded in 1440 in the neighbourhood of Hildesheim, Lower Saxony. The miscellany attests to the influence of these two prominent preachers beyond their religious order and beyond the geographic areas in which they had been active, thus showing the exchange and interconnection between different branches of the so-called Observant movement. The article first describes the miscellany by highlighting its connection with the Lüchtenhof community as well as the differentiated provenance of its texts. Next, it briefly discusses the section that includes Jan Brugman's works. Finally, it focuses on two sermons of Giovanni of Capestrano, analysing in particular his sermon on spiritual armour and siege engines. Both texts stem from his 1452 preaching campaign in Leipzig. Their presence in the miscellany sheds light not only on the transnational fame of Giovanni of Capestrano, but also on his reputation as master of spiritual life among the Brethren of the Common Life.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A PDF COPY OF THE ARTICLE, PLEASE WRITE ME AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: [email protected]
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A PDF COPY OF THE ARTICLE, PLEASE WRITE ME AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: [email protected]
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With his solemn canonisation in 1450, Bernardin of Siena was officially presented as a model for preachers and as a re-founder of the Franciscan Order. His tireless commitment to preaching and his virtues as a friar made him a perfect... more
With his solemn canonisation in 1450, Bernardin of Siena was officially presented as a model for preachers and as a re-founder of the Franciscan Order. His tireless commitment to preaching and his virtues as a friar made him a perfect model for the religious. However, his life before entering the Franciscans permitted to present him also as a saint in which the lay people could find an inspiring example for their own lives. This paper highlights this less studied aspect of the formation and evolution of the cult of St Bernardin by considering the earliest Vitae and sermons in honour of this saint as well as a peculiar cycle of frescos in Lodi. This allows to investigate in which way the hagiographical image of St Bernardin’s adolescence and youth was constructed, which episodes of his life in seculo received more attention and which virtues were put at the forefront. It emerges a vivid and multifaceted portray of a felix adulescentia, in which piety and charity had a central role in shaping the profile of the new saint, whose life was strictly connected with both the love of the Virgin and the active service in the city. In this way, the paper shows that St Bernardin was not only presented as a perfect preacher, but also as a perfect layman who lived with charity and chastity in the secular world.
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Reasoned bibliography on late medieval preaching (1200-1550) Table of contents Introduction Reference Works Bibliographical Overview Textbooks and Anthologies Repertoria Structure, Language, and Reception of the Sermon Exempla and... more
Reasoned bibliography on late medieval preaching (1200-1550)
Table of contents
Introduction
Reference Works
Bibliographical Overview
Textbooks and Anthologies
Repertoria
Structure, Language, and Reception of the Sermon
Exempla and Poets’ Quotations
Muslim Preaching
Jewish Preaching and Preaching on the Jews
The Preacher’s “Profession”
Women and Preaching
Prominent Preachers
Fourteenth-century Dominican Preachers
Late Medieval England
Fifteenth-century Dominicans: From Ferrer to Savonarola
Bernardino of Siena and the Franciscan Observant Movement
Bishops and Theologians
Preaching and Politics
Preaching on the Saints
Preaching and Images
Preaching and Theater
Sermons in Print
Table of contents
Introduction
Reference Works
Bibliographical Overview
Textbooks and Anthologies
Repertoria
Structure, Language, and Reception of the Sermon
Exempla and Poets’ Quotations
Muslim Preaching
Jewish Preaching and Preaching on the Jews
The Preacher’s “Profession”
Women and Preaching
Prominent Preachers
Fourteenth-century Dominican Preachers
Late Medieval England
Fifteenth-century Dominicans: From Ferrer to Savonarola
Bernardino of Siena and the Franciscan Observant Movement
Bishops and Theologians
Preaching and Politics
Preaching on the Saints
Preaching and Images
Preaching and Theater
Sermons in Print
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The sophisticated ways in which several fifteenth-century preachers used Ovidian stories and their allegorical interpretations prove that late medieval sermons represent a promising but neglected area for classical reception studies.... more
The sophisticated ways in which several fifteenth-century preachers used Ovidian stories and their allegorical interpretations prove that late medieval sermons represent a promising but neglected area for classical reception studies. Preachers – whose names are today almost forgotten by scholars but whose sermons circulated at large in early printed books – considered Ovidian allegories as powerful instruments for instructing, entertaining, and moving their audiences. This article begins with a review of the literature on the presence of Ovid in sermons, and discusses the methodology to study the transformation of classical myths in preaching. Then, it focuses on four sermons that incorporated the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, which appears in the sermon collections written by Conrad Grütsch, Johann Meder, and Jacobus de Lenda. The repeated use of this Ovidian myth allows us, therefore, to investigate how different preachers appropriated and re-elaborated this story, and the role that it played in diverse contexts. Finally, the analysis of these texts also sheds light on the use of the Ovidius moralizatus in fifteenth-century sermons.
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Olivi's hermeneutics of the Bible was a key factor in developing his idea of evangelical poverty as well as his peculiar and dynamic theology of history. The article aims to contribute to this research by analysing two aspects of his... more
Olivi's hermeneutics of the Bible was a key factor in developing his idea of evangelical poverty as well as his peculiar and dynamic theology of history. The article aims to contribute to this research by analysing two aspects of his 'Lectura super Lucam': first, the way several passages of the Lectura developed an eschatological hermeneutic of history that represents a significant stage towards Olivi’s later Lectura super Apocalipsim; second, the way in which the Franciscan exegete elaborated upon the theme of wealth and (evangelical) poverty, considering this commentary within the thirteenth-century exegesis on the topic. These two elements directly regard Olivi’s consideration of the apocalyptic role of the stigmatic Saint Francis as renewer of the evangelical life of poverty. Hence, both aspects served the purpose of presenting Olivi’s readers with a Franciscan identity based on the Gospel and on an acute self-understanding of the order’s role in the eschatological era, which is to say, in the sixth age of the Church.
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L’articolo mette in luce il profilo e l’azione di Michele d’Acqui, soffermandosi principalmente sulla fondazione del Monte di Pieta` di Verona, promosso nel 1490 da questo predicatore francescano. L’analisi si concentra su un incunabolo... more
L’articolo mette in luce il profilo e l’azione di Michele d’Acqui, soffermandosi principalmente sulla fondazione del Monte di Pieta` di Verona, promosso nel 1490 da questo predicatore francescano. L’analisi si concentra su un incunabolo volgare stampato a Verona a ridosso degli eventi, qui pubblicato integralmente. Questo documento mette in luce sia il messaggio spirituale collegato alla presentazione del Monte di Pieta` , sia le strategie comunicative adoperate da un abile redicatore quale fra Michele, teso a promuovere una carita` organizzata e cittadina, a sostegno di un’istituzione centrale nel progetto di riforma della societa` promosso dall’Osservanza minoritica. Una riforma in cui dimensione sociale e religiosa erano intrecciate in maniera inseparabile, come mostrano gli statuti della Scola del Monte della Pieta` in cui sostegno economico al Monte e diffusione di modelli per la vita religiosa laicale procedono di pari passo.
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The article investigates the intensification and cultural and political updating in the pastoral mission promoted by the Observant movement – considered in its multi-facetsed nature. Did it have a different approach towards the education... more
The article investigates the intensification and cultural and political updating in the pastoral mission promoted by the Observant movement – considered in its multi-facetsed nature. Did it have a different approach towards the education of the people or did it just elaborated upon an already existing tradition? Moreover, in which way was education considered within the Observance itself? This contribution focuses on four different aspects that provide us with insight on these questions, namely: the role of education and learning within the Observant movement; the complex relationship between Observant reform and humanism; the central role of preachers and the use of rituals and images in pastoral care; the way in which Observant educators developed guidelines for every state of life and emphasized education, particularly the education of children.
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Research Interests: Book History, Religious Education, Incunabula, Religious Conversion, Medieval Drama, and 10 moreBaptism, History of the Jews, Religious drama, Medieval Preaching, 15th Century Florence, Renaissance Florence, Confraternities studies, Woodcuts, Sacre Rappresentazioni, and Jews and Christians In Renaissance Italy
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The article investigates the life of the Observant Franciscan preacher Michele d’Acqui, particularly focusing on his initiatives to promote the foundation of the Monte di Pietà in Verona, in 1490. The article analyses and integrally... more
The article investigates the life of the Observant Franciscan
preacher Michele d’Acqui, particularly focusing on his initiatives to promote the foundation of the Monte di Pietà in Verona, in 1490. The article analyses and integrally publishes an incunabulum that was edited in Verona in concomitance with those events. This document highlights the spiritual message that was connected with the presentation of the Monte di Pietà as well as the communicative strategies adopted by skilful preachers such as Fra Michele. He organised a planned and civic form of charity to support the Monte di Pietà, which was a central institution in the reform of the society promoted by the Observance. As the statutes of Scola del Monte della Pietà clearly show, within this reform social and religious dimensions were deeply intertwined: the economic support to the Monte went hand in hand with the dissemination of a model of religious life for the laity.
[The original Italian version is available upon request. Feel free to email me if you are interested: [email protected] ]
preacher Michele d’Acqui, particularly focusing on his initiatives to promote the foundation of the Monte di Pietà in Verona, in 1490. The article analyses and integrally publishes an incunabulum that was edited in Verona in concomitance with those events. This document highlights the spiritual message that was connected with the presentation of the Monte di Pietà as well as the communicative strategies adopted by skilful preachers such as Fra Michele. He organised a planned and civic form of charity to support the Monte di Pietà, which was a central institution in the reform of the society promoted by the Observance. As the statutes of Scola del Monte della Pietà clearly show, within this reform social and religious dimensions were deeply intertwined: the economic support to the Monte went hand in hand with the dissemination of a model of religious life for the laity.
[The original Italian version is available upon request. Feel free to email me if you are interested: [email protected] ]
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La sacra rappresentazione fiorentina Lazero ricco e Lazero povero, basata sulla parabola di Lazzaro e del ricco epulone (Luca 16,19-31), ha ricevuto finora poca attenzione. L’articolo, oltre a pubblicarne per la prima volta il testo, si... more
La sacra rappresentazione fiorentina Lazero ricco e Lazero povero, basata sulla parabola di Lazzaro e del ricco epulone (Luca 16,19-31), ha ricevuto finora poca attenzione. L’articolo, oltre a pubblicarne per la prima volta il testo, si propone di metterne in luce la struttura e i contenuti, in rapporto al contesto storico-sociale fiorentino. Emergono così i mutamenti attualizzanti rispetto alla parabola evangelica e le connessioni con la tradizione esegetica medievale e con la predicazione contemporanea. Inoltre si analizzano i cambiamenti più significativi tra il testo del manoscritto (1470ca.) e l’editio princeps di Zanobi della Barba (1510 ca.), dalla quale dipendono le successive numerose edizioni cinque e seicentesche. Si indaga infine l’inusuale omonimia dei due protagonisti.
The Florentine “sacra rappresentazione” titled Lazero ricco e Lazero povero, based on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16,19-31), has hitherto received little attention. This article not only provides the first edition of this text of this play but also tries to assess its structure and contents by contextualizing them within the Florentine culture and society of the time. This allows to highlight the author’s topical and peculiar reading of this parable and, on the other hand, to retrace his relationship with medieval exegesis and contemporary preaching. Furthermore, this study analyses the major textual discrepancies between the manuscript (ca. 1470) and the editio princeps by Zanobi della Barba (ca. 1510), on which all later editions in the sixteenth and seventeenth century were based. Finally, it is investigated the unusual homonymy of the two main characters of the religious play.
The Florentine “sacra rappresentazione” titled Lazero ricco e Lazero povero, based on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16,19-31), has hitherto received little attention. This article not only provides the first edition of this text of this play but also tries to assess its structure and contents by contextualizing them within the Florentine culture and society of the time. This allows to highlight the author’s topical and peculiar reading of this parable and, on the other hand, to retrace his relationship with medieval exegesis and contemporary preaching. Furthermore, this study analyses the major textual discrepancies between the manuscript (ca. 1470) and the editio princeps by Zanobi della Barba (ca. 1510), on which all later editions in the sixteenth and seventeenth century were based. Finally, it is investigated the unusual homonymy of the two main characters of the religious play.
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As François Lambert (1486/87-1530) experimented with religious identity in his passage from the Franciscan Observance to Lutheran Reform, he presents a valuable witness to the processes of identity formation and self-understanding in a... more
As François Lambert (1486/87-1530) experimented with religious identity in his passage from the Franciscan Observance to Lutheran Reform, he presents a valuable witness to the processes of identity formation and self-understanding in a period of religious turmoil that was still open to many different solutions. From 1522 to 1530 his choices led him from Avignon to Genève, Lausanne, Bern, Zurich, Basel, Wittenberg, Metz, Strasbourg, Marburg, in a life marked by projects of reform and moments of fear, illusions and delusions, success and failure. Lambert wrote a type of autobiography of this itinerary, which is traceable from his first work composed in Wittenberg until the very last letter that he wrote a few days before his death. Moreover, his non-linear religious journey forced him to come to terms with his previous identity as Franciscan, as friar, as preacher.
The existing literature on François Lambert already traces the major details of his life and writings. Here, by means of what I suggest calling the “confessions” of Lambert, I would like to investigate the way in which he recounted his experiences, tried to give them unity and meaning, and built his own identity. Apart from his radical conversion, this article examines whether it is possible to detect elements of continuity with his previous commitment to the Franciscan Observant religious life.
The existing literature on François Lambert already traces the major details of his life and writings. Here, by means of what I suggest calling the “confessions” of Lambert, I would like to investigate the way in which he recounted his experiences, tried to give them unity and meaning, and built his own identity. Apart from his radical conversion, this article examines whether it is possible to detect elements of continuity with his previous commitment to the Franciscan Observant religious life.
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"This article argues that a portion of the fifteenth-century frescos at the entrance door from the cloister to the cathedral of Bressanone can be seen as a painted sermon. The analysis draws on the frescos of two vaults and the... more
"This article argues that a portion of the fifteenth-century frescos at the entrance door from the cloister to the cathedral of Bressanone can be seen as a painted sermon. The analysis draws on the frescos of two vaults and the interaction between words and images. In the first vault, just above the entrance of the church, the frescos present not only the contents of a sermon, but also its structure, namely an episode from the Gospel, a catechetical pattern, the quotation of auctoritates and a social goal to be achieved. The frescos of the second vault represent the contrast between virtues and vices using the pairs presented in Matthew 24. 40–41. This text was read by the medieval exegetical tradition as a scheme for the different status of Christian life, thus this vault could be seen as an elaborate catechetical pattern with a large system of biblical quotations. Moreover, the structure of the frescos of the second vault can be read as a sermo modernus based on the divisio of Matthew 24. 40–41. Finally, the comparison with a portion of a sermon by Bernardino da Siena on the theme of avarice confirms that the elements represented in Bressanone were really used both by preachers and painters.
In this way, the images of the cloister are a sermon, which continually preaches to anyone entering or leaving the church, thus organizing the public space as a 'theatre of memory' and offering a message readable at different levels."
In this way, the images of the cloister are a sermon, which continually preaches to anyone entering or leaving the church, thus organizing the public space as a 'theatre of memory' and offering a message readable at different levels."
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"Complessivamente, il volume fornisce un chiaro inquadramento dell'evoluzione e dell'importanza della direzione spirituale tra medioevo e prima età moderna, accompagnandolo con una nutrita serie di studi specifici che permettono di... more
"Complessivamente, il volume fornisce un chiaro inquadramento dell'evoluzione e dell'importanza della direzione spirituale tra medioevo e prima età moderna, accompagnandolo con una nutrita serie di studi specifici che permettono di cogliere - nel concreto e al di là di eccessivi schematismi - come il rapporto spirituale tra uomini e donne poteva prendere forma nell'Italia tra Quattro e Cinquecento. Mettendo in luce sia le dinamiche che progressivamente delegittimarono l'iniziativa femminile in questo campo, sia gli spazi di libertà e le strategie adottate da diverse donne per affermare la propria voce quali guide, maestre, amiche spirituali, gli studi di Gabriella Zarri costituiscono un utile strumento per chi, senza schematismi, si interessa di storia religiosa e della formazione dell'autocoscienza moderna".
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Review to: "Franciscus liturgicus: Editio fontium saeculi XIII", ed. F. Sedda in coll. with J. Dalarun. (Padua, 2015) and "Fonti liturgiche francescane: l’immagine di san Francesco d’Assisi nei testi liturgici del XIII secolo", eds. M. Bartoli, J. Dalarun, T.J. Johnson, and F. Sedda (Padua, 2015)more
Liturgy – in particular the nocturnal office – played a key role for the definition, transformation, and transmission of an authoritative interpretation of Francis of Assisi and his spiritual itinerary. This is the central argument of the... more
Liturgy – in particular the nocturnal office – played a key role for the definition, transformation, and transmission of an authoritative interpretation of Francis of Assisi and his spiritual itinerary. This is the central argument of the two volumes that an international team of scholars offers to the academic community as a way to approach the saint from a new perspective.
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Brenner's book illustrates the evolution of leprosaria in medieval Rouen and their political, cultural, and religious links with the remainder of society. This allows to see how in the Rouen’s area “leprosy sufferers were feared and... more
Brenner's book illustrates the evolution of leprosaria in medieval Rouen and their political, cultural, and religious links with the remainder of society. This allows to see how in the Rouen’s area “leprosy sufferers were feared and marginalised in these centuries as well as being an object of philanthropy” (18). Within a well-established interpretative framework of medieval leprosy, this book enriches the panorama of the studies on leprosaria and it will be greatly valuable for scholars working on Rouen and Normandy.
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Research Interests: Franciscan Studies, Witchcraft, Religion and Magic, Early Modern European Witchcraft, Medieval Sermons, Medieval Preaching, and 7 moreDecalogue, History of Milan, Renaissance Milan, Early Modern Funeral Sermons, History of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), Observant Reform, and Observant Franciscans
Preprint of the review to 'Visibile teologia. Il libro sacro figurato in Italia tra Cinquecento e Seicento', ed. E. Ardissino and E. Selmi (Roma: Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, 2012), in: Studi e problem di critica testuale, 92 (2016),... more
Preprint of the review to 'Visibile teologia. Il libro sacro figurato in Italia tra Cinquecento e Seicento', ed. E. Ardissino and E. Selmi (Roma: Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, 2012), in: Studi e problem di critica testuale, 92 (2016), pp. 262-267
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L'agile volume si propone di comparare il ruolo dell'Osservanza francescana nelle vicende culturali italiane e ungheresi tra Quattrocento e primo Cinquecento. Il libro si inserisce così all'interno di una feconda stagione di ricerche sul... more
L'agile volume si propone di comparare il ruolo dell'Osservanza francescana nelle vicende culturali italiane e ungheresi tra Quattrocento e primo Cinquecento. Il libro si inserisce così all'interno di una feconda stagione di ricerche sul movimento osservante in generale e sull'Osservanza minoritica in particolare. [...] L'indagine affronta quattro aree: il rapporto tra osservanti e cultura umanistica; gli studia e la questione della formazione culturale; la produzione di testi funzionali al governo dell'Ordine o alla cura pastorale; l'agiografia e, in particolare, l'uso del volgare in questo campo.
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Rob Meens clearly presents the ambition of his work. It aims to challenge 'too-easy generalizations of the complex nature and histoiy of penance and confession' such as those based on the master narrative of the so-called discoveiy of... more
Rob Meens clearly presents the ambition of his work. It aims to challenge 'too-easy generalizations of the complex nature and histoiy of penance and confession' such as those based on the
master narrative of the so-called discoveiy of the individual in the twelfth century. Furthermore, it aims to provide 'a reliable
guide [... ] through the thick forest of penitential literature of the period between 600 and 1200'. The author deals with both tasks successfully in a book that will represent a touchstone on this subject for scholars and students alike.
master narrative of the so-called discoveiy of the individual in the twelfth century. Furthermore, it aims to provide 'a reliable
guide [... ] through the thick forest of penitential literature of the period between 600 and 1200'. The author deals with both tasks successfully in a book that will represent a touchstone on this subject for scholars and students alike.
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The paper explores the relations between and the differences among the 24 incunabula editions of the Quadragesimale of the Franciscan preacher Conrad Grütsch (d. c. 1470) Some information on the two versions of Gritsch's Quadragesimale... more
The paper explores the relations between and the differences among the 24 incunabula editions of the Quadragesimale of the Franciscan preacher Conrad Grütsch (d. c. 1470)
Some information on the two versions of Gritsch's Quadragesimale are available in my article "Christ and the soul are like Pyramus and Thisbe" (see above, articles)
Some information on the two versions of Gritsch's Quadragesimale are available in my article "Christ and the soul are like Pyramus and Thisbe" (see above, articles)
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Some information on the two versions of Gritsch's Quadragesimale are available in my article "Christ and the soul are like Pyramus and Thisbe" (see above, articles)
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Codificate sulla base della Scrittura e divulgate attraverso una pluralità di testi e immagini, le opere di misericordia fornirono a istituzioni e città un riferimento fondamentale nell’individuare bisogni primari e interventi esemplari... more
Codificate sulla base della Scrittura e divulgate attraverso una pluralità di testi e immagini, le opere di misericordia fornirono a istituzioni e città un riferimento fondamentale nell’individuare bisogni primari e interventi esemplari della carità pubblica. I saggi raccolti in questo volume si interrogano sulla trasformazione delle politiche di misericordia tra medioevo e prima età moderna. Grazie a un approccio multidisciplinare, il volume indaga come la misericordia venne declinata quale virtù politica, tesa a rendere meno feroce la società, mitigando il vivere comune in nome dell’ideale evangelico. La riflessione teologica e la retorica della carità servirono – non senza ambiguità − a catalizzare energie, a elaborare progetti sociali, a rendere riconoscibili e credibili antiche e recenti istituzioni, a sostenere politiche di soccorso e, anche, di controllo e disciplinamento. In nome della medesima carità si poteva infatti sia elargire un aiuto generalizzato, sia attuare un’attenta selezione, basata sull’idea che l’assistenza era un diritto riservato ad alcuni ma precluso a molti, giudicati indesiderati, pericolosi e viziosi.
Ne discuteranno insieme al curatore del volume Grado Giovanni Merlo e Fabrizio Mandrioli
Ne discuteranno insieme al curatore del volume Grado Giovanni Merlo e Fabrizio Mandrioli
Research Interests: Franciscan Studies, History of Social Welfare, Biblical Medieval Exegesis, Fifteenth century history, Medieval Hospitals, and 7 moreHistory of the Franciscan Order, Works of Mercy, Siena (Middle Ages), Confraternities studies, History of Lodi (Lombardia), Medieval Hospitals and Confraternities, and Monti di Pietà
Go to Online Edition Pietro Delcorno, University of Leeds In the Mirror of the Prodigal Son provides a comprehensive history of the function of the parable of the prodigal son in shaping religious identity in medieval and Reformation... more
Go to Online Edition
Pietro Delcorno, University of Leeds
In the Mirror of the Prodigal Son provides a comprehensive history of the function of the parable of the prodigal son in shaping religious identity in medieval and Reformation Europe. By investigating a wealth of primary sources, the book reveals the interaction between commentaries, sermons, religious plays, and images as a decisive factor in the increasing popularity of the prodigal son. Pietro Delcorno highlights the ingenious and multifaceted uses of the parable within pastoral activities and shows the pervasive presence of the Bible in medieval communication. The prodigal son narrative became the ideal story to convey a discourse about sin and penance, grace and salvation. In this way, the parable was established as the paradigmatic biography of any believer.
Pietro Delcorno, University of Leeds
In the Mirror of the Prodigal Son provides a comprehensive history of the function of the parable of the prodigal son in shaping religious identity in medieval and Reformation Europe. By investigating a wealth of primary sources, the book reveals the interaction between commentaries, sermons, religious plays, and images as a decisive factor in the increasing popularity of the prodigal son. Pietro Delcorno highlights the ingenious and multifaceted uses of the parable within pastoral activities and shows the pervasive presence of the Bible in medieval communication. The prodigal son narrative became the ideal story to convey a discourse about sin and penance, grace and salvation. In this way, the parable was established as the paradigmatic biography of any believer.
Research Interests: Incunabula, Reformation History, Biblical Studies, Medieval Drama, Franciscan Studies, and 11 moreBiblical Medieval Exegesis, Medieval Sermons, Late Medieval History, Lutheran Theology, Medieval Preaching, Sermon on the Prodigal Son, 15th Century Florence, Dominican Order, Parables, Prodigal Son, and HIstory of Penance
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"People in Motion" (PIMo) Training School
Centro Studi sui Monti di Pietà (Bologna)
13-16 June 2022
Centro Studi sui Monti di Pietà (Bologna)
13-16 June 2022
Research Interests: Economic History, Social History, Mediterranean Studies (Area Studies), Early Modern economic and social history, History of Hospitals, and 8 moreEarly Modern Jewish History, Religious Studies, Charity, History of Charity, Economía Social y Solidaria, Islamic Charity (Sadaqa), Waqf Studies: Concept, and Monti di Pietà
Discussione del volume: Paolo Evangelisti, Il denaro francescano tra norma e interpretazione (1223-1390), Spoleto, CISAM, 2020
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The conference (virtually hosted by Radboud University) focuses on the wider impact of Observant reforms on Europe’s religious social-cultural production, and on its interconnection with the changing cultural landscape of the European... more
The conference (virtually hosted by Radboud University) focuses on the wider impact of Observant reforms on Europe’s religious social-cultural production, and on its interconnection with the changing cultural landscape of the European continent at the end of the Middle Ages. The workshop is the fourth meeting of the international project network “Observer l’Observance: Diffusion, réseaux et influences des réformes régulières en Europe (fin XIVe – première moitié du XVIe siècle)”.
Research Interests: Book History, Franciscan Studies, Humanism, History of music, Devotional literature, and 9 moreLate Medieval Religion, Monasticism and Devotion, Medieval Sermons, Fifteenth and Sixteenth century culture, Dominican Order, Latin Medieval Hagiography, Devotio moderna, History of Liturgy, Poor Clares, and Observant Reform
The International Medieval Sermon Studies Society (IMSSS) promotes and fosters the study of medieval sermons and preaching in Latin and vernacular languages within their social, literary, religious, intellectual, theological,... more
The International Medieval Sermon Studies Society (IMSSS) promotes and fosters the study of medieval sermons and preaching in Latin and vernacular languages within their social, literary, religious, intellectual, theological, catechetical, political, and historical contexts.
The current Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in lost opportunities for lively discussion of research projects that are often vital to the progress of early career scholars. In light of this, IMSSS seeks to provide a forum for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers to receive input on their projects from peers and senior scholars in a virtual format.
We invite current PhD students and postdoctoral researchers to submit proposals for the first IMSSS Virtual Research Workshop.
The current Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in lost opportunities for lively discussion of research projects that are often vital to the progress of early career scholars. In light of this, IMSSS seeks to provide a forum for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers to receive input on their projects from peers and senior scholars in a virtual format.
We invite current PhD students and postdoctoral researchers to submit proposals for the first IMSSS Virtual Research Workshop.
Research Interests:
Cette rencontre inaugure une série de colloques interdisciplinaires qui se tiendront jusqu'en 2021 autour du thème « Observer l'Observance. Diffusion , réseaux et influences des réformes régulières en Europe (fin XIV e – première moitié... more
Cette rencontre inaugure une série de colloques interdisciplinaires qui se tiendront jusqu'en 2021 autour du thème « Observer l'Observance. Diffusion , réseaux et influences des réformes régulières en Europe (fin XIV e – première moitié du XVI e siècle) ». L'ambition est d'ouvrir de nouvelles pistes historiographiques pour l'étude de la place et du rôle des religieux au sein des bouleversements qui caractérisèrent les sociétés européennes entre Moyen Âge et époque moderne. Il s'agira de scruter les modalités de diffusion et d'influence de mouvements de réforme de la vie régulière qui ont partagé la même exigence de retour à une « observance » plus stricte des textes réglementaires. De tels mouvements ont concerné toutes les familles de religieux, dans la plupart des pays européens, avec une forte implication des différents pouvoirs civils. Les réformateurs ont très vite élargi leur mission à la pastorale des laïcs, proposant de nouvelles normes sociales et de nouveaux modèles tout en s'impliquant aussi dans la répression de l'a-normalité, de l'hérésie aux « déviances » morales. Cette première rencontre est destinée à préparer les suivantes, autour de plusieurs enjeux : poser un regard critique sur l'historiographie du « phé-nomène observant », à partir de l'histoire de l'Observance construite par les ordres religieux eux-mêmes dès l'époque moderne, afin de mettre en évi-dence ses forces et ses manques ; redéfinir la chronologie du phénomène, pour faire émerger plus clairement les dynamiques et les phases d'un trend réformateur ; identifier les sources qui ont fait l'objet d'une exploitation privilégiée ou qui, au contraire, ont été insuffisamment explorées ; interro-ger la nature et les significations de la réforme et les relations et influences entre les différents ordres.
Research Interests:
Quale idea di società proponeva la predicazione tardomedievale e quella della prima età moderna? Quali strumenti - concettuali e pratici - erano adoperati? Quali i risultati sperati e quelli effettivamente raggiunti? Tre recenti studi... more
Quale idea di società proponeva la predicazione tardomedievale e quella della prima età moderna? Quali strumenti - concettuali e pratici - erano adoperati? Quali i risultati sperati e quelli effettivamente raggiunti? Tre recenti studi investigano - con prospettive diverse - questi aspetti mettendo a fuoco il tema dell’efficacia dell’azione dei predicatori, del mutevole rapporto tra ricchi e poveri, e del complesso dipanarsi della relazione tra ebrei e cristiani nella dinamica società di quei secoli. A partire da questi lavori, l’incontro vuole offrire uno spazio per riflettere sul complesso e fecondo rapporto tra predicazione e società e sulle attuali prospettive di ricerca in questo campo.
Research Interests:
The lecture analyses a few reportationes that exemplify the selective reception of sermons by listeners and the influence they had on them. On the other hand, it proposes a reflection on the way preachers valued the feedback on their... more
The lecture analyses a few reportationes that exemplify the selective reception of sermons by listeners and the influence they had on them. On the other hand, it proposes a reflection on the way preachers valued the feedback on their sermons and tried to master their effects. The lectures is based on the analysis of several fifteenth-century Italian preachers and of Johann Geiler von Kaysersberg
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The vivid and emotionally intense commemoration of the Passion of Christ was a key element in late medieval religious communication across Western and Central Europe. However, still too often, the paramount importance of this... more
The vivid and emotionally intense commemoration of the Passion of Christ was a key element in late medieval religious communication across Western and Central Europe. However, still too often, the paramount importance of this socio-religious phenomenon has been asserted by scholars without investigating the different media involved in this process and how the Passion was presented to, and interiorized, by the faithful.
Research Interests:
Nella storiografia relativa alla fondazione dei primi Monti di Pietà, il gigante in questione è in realtà duplice. Da un lato vi è Bernardino da Feltre: l'ampiezza della sua azione a favore dei Monti e la ricchezza delle fonti a lui... more
Nella storiografia relativa alla fondazione dei primi Monti di Pietà, il gigante in questione è in realtà duplice. Da un lato vi è Bernardino da Feltre: l'ampiezza della sua azione a favore dei Monti e la ricchezza delle fonti a lui connesse rischiano infatti di mettere in ombra altri protagonisti, la cui azione è necessario recuperare per ricostruire un quadro storico più movimentato e ricco di tensioni (interne ed esterne all'Osservanza francescana). Dall'altro lato, lo stesso Monte rischia di essere un ingombrante 'gigante storiografico' che può oscurare altri aspetti della vita dei personaggi coinvolti nelle sue vicende, a volte appiattiti (o mitizzati) nel ruolo di "fondatori" dei Monti. In quest’ottica, l’intervento guarderà l’azione di due frati minori, Michele d'Acqui e Timoteo da Lucca, mettendo in luce sia il loro protagonismo nella fondazione dei Monti di Pietà di diverse città italiane, sia come tali iniziative – e la polemica contro il prestito ebraico connessa – facessero parte di un impegno più complesso e complessivo portato avanti da personaggi capaci tanto di dispiegare un sistema di comunicazione 'multimediale' quanto di muoversi con abilità tra la folla delle piazze, il rapporto con le magistrature cittadine e la promozione di specifici gruppi confraternali.
Research Interests:
Il convegno si interrogara sulla trasformazione delle politiche di misericodia tra tardo medieovo e prima età moderna, investigando i linguaggi – verbali e visivi – della carità e le confraternite e istituzioni che fecero della pietà e... more
Il convegno si interrogara sulla trasformazione delle politiche di misericodia tra tardo medieovo e prima età moderna, investigando i linguaggi – verbali e visivi – della carità e le confraternite e istituzioni che fecero della pietà e della misericordia il proprio oggetto, risemantizzando in alcuni casi il significato di questi termini. Si cercherà così di riflettere su come la misericordia venne declinata quale virtù politica, tesa a rendere meno feroce il volto della società, mitigando il vivere comune in nome dell’ideale evangelico. Il convegno sarà l’occasione per indagare come l’ideale delle opere di misericordia sia stato utilizzato – non senza ambiguità – per sperimentare inedite soluzioni davanti a nuovi problemi o al mutare dei quadri politici. Infine, si cercherà di riflettere su come il riferimento ideale alla carità sia di volta in volta servito anche a mascherare o giustificare politiche di dominio, disciplinamento, ed esclusioni, e su come diverse “culture della carità” si siano confrontate nel corpo vivo della società.
Research Interests: Medieval History, Franciscan Studies, Confraternities and Luoghi Pii, Early Modern economic and social history, History of Hospitals, and 10 moreBiblical Medieval Exegesis, Fifteenth century history, Medieval Art History, History of the City, Charity, Fifteenth and Sixteenth century culture, Medieval Hospitals, Sixteenth Century History, Confraternities studies, and Monti di Pietà
La cultura italiana del Basso Medioevo costituisce sotto molti aspetti un’eccezione. Risulta caratteristica di questa stagione una peculiare articolazione fra luoghi del sapere (università, studia mendicanti, gruppi informali),... more
La cultura italiana del Basso Medioevo costituisce sotto molti aspetti un’eccezione. Risulta caratteristica di questa stagione una peculiare articolazione fra luoghi del sapere (università, studia mendicanti, gruppi informali), protagonisti della disseminazione culturale (spesso personalità non immediatamente inquadrabili nelle istituzioni della formazione), forme e generi letterari di tale disseminazione, nonché loro forma linguistica (spiccatamente bilingue). La differenza con altri contesti (in particolare, quello parigino) è forte; indagare questa differenza è particolarmente proficuo. Nel seminario, si indagheranno una serie significativa di case studies che rientrano in questo quadro, dando particolare rilevanza a tradizioni che si sono sviluppate attraverso lingue differenti, dando particolare risalto a fenomeni di traduzione / volgarizzamento, perché particolarmente significativi della forma mentis intellettuale del periodo. Il seminario si inserisce nel progetto di ricerca BIFLOW - Bilingualism in Florentine and Tuscan Works (ca. 1260 - ca. 1416) [H2020 Erc Starting Grant n. 637533] diretto da Antonio Montefusco.
In collaborazione con
Dottorato di Italianistica, Università Ca’ Foscari, Venezia
e Centro interdipartimentale di studi storici sul cristianesimo (CISC)
7 marzo 2016
Prof. Antonio Montefusco, Università Ca’ Foscari, Venezia
Un “anticlericalismo” medievale? Immaginario antimendicante ed ecclesiologia dei laici nell’Italia del Due-Trecento
9 Marzo
Dott.ssa Lorenza Tromboni (SISMEL, Firenze)
Volgarizzare come atto politico. Su Monarchia, Defensor Pacis e De Regimine principum tra latino, francese e toscano.
14 Marzo
Prof. Giuliano Milani (Roma La Sapienza)
I documenti di Dante e Dante attraverso i documenti.
Intorno al nuovo Codice Diplomatico Dantesco.
16 Marzo
Dott. Manu Radakrishnan (Wien)
Agiografia latina, agiografia volgare.
30 Marzo Prof. Jacques Dalarun (IRHT, Paris)
Questione francescana addio ? Una nuova legenda su San Francesco.
5 Aprile.
Prof. Benoit Grévin, CNRS, France.
Ars dictaminis: cultura egemonica del Basso Medioevo.
12 Aprile
Prof. G.L. Potestà – Dott. E. Tealdi (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore)
Il Vade mecum in tribulatione di Giovanni da Rupescissa e la profezia alla fine del Medioevo, tra latino e volgare.
18 Aprile.
Prof. Sylvain Piron (EHESS, Paris):
Dialettica del mostro: Opicino de’ Canistris e il sistema dei saperi nell’Italia medievale
20 aprile 2016
Prof. Antonio Montefusco (Università Ca’ Foscari, Venezia)
Una “provocazione”: scrittori e popolo (nell’età di Dante)
26 Aprile
Dott. Pietro Delcorno (University of Leeds)
Dante in latino e in volgare per i predicatori: il caso del Peregrinus cum Angelo.
In collaborazione con
Dottorato di Italianistica, Università Ca’ Foscari, Venezia
e Centro interdipartimentale di studi storici sul cristianesimo (CISC)
7 marzo 2016
Prof. Antonio Montefusco, Università Ca’ Foscari, Venezia
Un “anticlericalismo” medievale? Immaginario antimendicante ed ecclesiologia dei laici nell’Italia del Due-Trecento
9 Marzo
Dott.ssa Lorenza Tromboni (SISMEL, Firenze)
Volgarizzare come atto politico. Su Monarchia, Defensor Pacis e De Regimine principum tra latino, francese e toscano.
14 Marzo
Prof. Giuliano Milani (Roma La Sapienza)
I documenti di Dante e Dante attraverso i documenti.
Intorno al nuovo Codice Diplomatico Dantesco.
16 Marzo
Dott. Manu Radakrishnan (Wien)
Agiografia latina, agiografia volgare.
30 Marzo Prof. Jacques Dalarun (IRHT, Paris)
Questione francescana addio ? Una nuova legenda su San Francesco.
5 Aprile.
Prof. Benoit Grévin, CNRS, France.
Ars dictaminis: cultura egemonica del Basso Medioevo.
12 Aprile
Prof. G.L. Potestà – Dott. E. Tealdi (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore)
Il Vade mecum in tribulatione di Giovanni da Rupescissa e la profezia alla fine del Medioevo, tra latino e volgare.
18 Aprile.
Prof. Sylvain Piron (EHESS, Paris):
Dialettica del mostro: Opicino de’ Canistris e il sistema dei saperi nell’Italia medievale
20 aprile 2016
Prof. Antonio Montefusco (Università Ca’ Foscari, Venezia)
Una “provocazione”: scrittori e popolo (nell’età di Dante)
26 Aprile
Dott. Pietro Delcorno (University of Leeds)
Dante in latino e in volgare per i predicatori: il caso del Peregrinus cum Angelo.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
in "Politiche di misericordia tra teorie e prassi. Confraternite, ospedali e Monti di Pietà (XIII-XVI secolo)", a cura di Pietro Delcorno, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2018, pp. 275-309.
Research Interests: Preaching, Franciscan Studies, Early Modern Italy, History of Social Welfare, History of Hospitals, and 7 moreMendicant Orders, Italy, Italian late medieval and Renaissance devotional art, ritual, and patronage, History of the Franciscan Order, Works of Mercy, Sixteenth Century History, and Confraternities studies
The role of religion in shaping economic systems has been the subject of a long debate. More recently, the discussion has been extended to Islamic societies, while the recent financial crisis renewed the discussion on the roots of... more
The role of religion in shaping economic systems has been the subject of a long debate. More recently, the discussion has been extended to Islamic societies, while the recent financial crisis renewed the discussion on the
roots of contemporary economy and the possibility of a more ‘ethical’ economy. Still, a truly comparative approach to the way Abrahamic religions faced the economic development and contributed to elaborations and institutional experimentations still needs to be developed, in particular for the medieval and early modern period (1200-1600).
roots of contemporary economy and the possibility of a more ‘ethical’ economy. Still, a truly comparative approach to the way Abrahamic religions faced the economic development and contributed to elaborations and institutional experimentations still needs to be developed, in particular for the medieval and early modern period (1200-1600).
Research Interests:
Our seminar in Simancas will give us a chance to start addressing the complex relations between paper and power. As one of the most important repositories of documentary information about the Hispanic Monarchy, Simancas and its papers... more
Our seminar in Simancas will give us a chance to start addressing the complex relations between paper and power. As one of the most important repositories of documentary information about the Hispanic Monarchy, Simancas and its papers constitute excellent case studies for the complex macroeconomic and administrative structures that were created as a result of the gradual expansion of trade and finance on a global level, on the one hand, and on the other the creation of the modern state. The age of exploration had opened new paths for imperial conquest and expansion which relied for its management on a sophisticated bureaucratic machine based on the use of paper and its circulation throughout domestic and global networks. We can, in short, talk about a new era of state administration by paper, a new age of paper money and paper-based financial exchanges. The history of paper and its arrival in Europe across the Mediterranean, from the Far East, through the Muslim world, and eventually on to the rest of the globe, constitutes in itself an interesting case study for the material mobility of a new medium that contributed to a revolution in communication, knowledge and administration. The availability of paper, its inexpensive nature, and its inherent capacity to register and circulate information quickly faciitated a new age of information towards the end of the Middle Ages. Only now, more than 700 years after its arrival in Europe, with the new digital formats, has paper found a serious competitor.
Research Interests:
Lunedì della Peterson lunedì 21 settembre alle ore 16 Gruppo di ricerca "Organizzare l'assistenza" Presentazione di due libri di Pietro Delcorno: - Lazzaro e il ricco epulone. Metamorfosi di una parabola fra Quattro e Cinquecento, il... more
Lunedì della Peterson
lunedì 21 settembre alle ore 16
Gruppo di ricerca "Organizzare l'assistenza"
Presentazione di due libri di Pietro Delcorno:
- Lazzaro e il ricco epulone. Metamorfosi di una parabola fra Quattro e Cinquecento, il Mulino 2014
- Politiche della misericordia tra teoria e prassi. Confraternite, ospedali e Monti di Pietà (XIII-XVI secolo), il Mulino 2018
La presentazione e il successivo dibattito si terranno mediante teleconferenza webex all'indirizzo:
https://unito.webex.com/meet/amicidellapeterson
lunedì 21 settembre alle ore 16
Gruppo di ricerca "Organizzare l'assistenza"
Presentazione di due libri di Pietro Delcorno:
- Lazzaro e il ricco epulone. Metamorfosi di una parabola fra Quattro e Cinquecento, il Mulino 2014
- Politiche della misericordia tra teoria e prassi. Confraternite, ospedali e Monti di Pietà (XIII-XVI secolo), il Mulino 2018
La presentazione e il successivo dibattito si terranno mediante teleconferenza webex all'indirizzo:
https://unito.webex.com/meet/amicidellapeterson