Franciscan Books and their Readers: Friars and Manuscripts in Late Medieval Italy

Franciscan Books and their Readers explores manuscripts written, read, and studied by Franciscan friars in northern Italy, focusing on ideal, space, form, and readership. It reveals new features of medieval friars' cultural agency by comparing book collections of reformed and unreformed medieval Franciscan libraries in Padua.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 28 May 2022
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press

Franciscan Books and their Readers: An Exploration of Manuscripts in Northern Italy
Franciscan Books and their Readers is a comprehensive study of manuscripts written, read, and studied by Franciscan friars in northern Italy, particularly in Padua, during the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries. The book examines four key aspects of these manuscripts: ideal, space, form, and readership.

Ideal: The ideal of Franciscan manuscripts is explored through the regulations that determined what manuscripts should aim for. These regulations were set by the Franciscan Order and aimed to promote the spiritual and intellectual growth of the friars. The manuscripts were intended to be used for prayer, meditation, and study, and they were often decorated with beautiful illustrations and calligraphy.

Space: The development and role of Franciscan libraries are studied in this book. Franciscan libraries were important centers of learning and scholarship, and they played a crucial role in the dissemination of Franciscan teachings. The book examines the architecture of Franciscan libraries, the collection of manuscripts, and the use of manuscripts by the friars.

Form: The form of Franciscan manuscripts is revealed by the assessment of the physical configuration of a set of representative manuscripts read, written, and manufactured by the friars. The manuscripts were often written in Latin, and they included a variety of genres, including religious texts, philosophical texts, and historical texts. The book examines the layout, typography, and decoration of the manuscripts.

Readership: The study of the readership of Franciscan manuscripts shows how Franciscans were skilled readers who employed certain forms of the manuscript as a portable, personal library and as a tool for learning and pastoral care. The manuscripts were often used by the friars to teach their sermons and to provide spiritual guidance to their followers.

By comparing the book collections of Paduas reformed and unreformed medieval Franciscan libraries for the first time, this study reveals new features of the ground-breaking cultural agency of medieval friars. The book demonstrates that Franciscan manuscripts were not only important for their spiritual and intellectual content but also for their role in the dissemination of knowledge and the promotion of cultural exchange.

In conclusion, Franciscan Books and their Readers is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of Franciscan manuscripts and the role of Franciscan friars in the medieval world. The book provides a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the manuscripts, and it offers new insights into the cultural agency of medieval friars.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789463729512