dc.contributor.author | Henderson, John Sebastian | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2017-09-01T12:48:56Z | |
dc.date.available | 2017-09-01T12:48:56Z | |
dc.date.issued | 1983 | |
dc.date.submitted | 2017-09-01T13:16:53.303Z | |
dc.identifier.citation | Henderson, J.S. 1983. PIETY AND CHARITY IN LATE MEDIEVAL FLORENCE Religious Confraternities from the Middle of the Thirteenth Century to the Late Fifteenth Century. Queen Mary University of London | en_US |
dc.identifier.uri | http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/25570 | |
dc.description | PhD | en_US |
dc.description.abstract | Devotional and charitable confraternities were a characteristic feature of
late medieval Florence. The popularity of the former, and particularly the
laudesi and flagellants, stemmed from the fact that they enabled the layman
to participate in areas of worship which had been previously the exclusive
dcanain of the clergy. The laudesi specialised in singing lauds which during
the fifteenth century came to be perfomed by professional singers and
musicians. This helped the companies to maintain their devotion, but at the
same tine removed the necessity for members to attend daily services. Moreover
the'laudesi societies' acceptance of bequests meant that some became as
concerned to provide services for the dead as for the living. In contrast
flagellant canpanies retained their vitality by emphasizing a strict
penitential devotion and refusing to become involved in the administration
of property. )
The most important charitable cccpany was Or S. Michele,, which was founded
in the late thirteenth century to supervise the cult of the miraculous
Madonna and to distribute the public's oblations to the poor. During the
Black Death the conpany inherited a large fortune which changed the
character of many of its activities. Successive governments sought to
protect Or S. Michele from litigious heirs and corrupt carpany officials
and then proceeded to borrow money to help cover its own debts and finance
catrnunal construction projects including the oratory of Or S. Michele.
After the Black Death alms were no longer distributed to a large number
of paupers, but to a more exclusive clientele. By the end of the Trecento
Or S. Michele had a tarnished reputation and the cult had lost much of
its vitality except as a centre for public festivals. This decline was
shared by the Misericordia, and Florence was thereby deprived of the
services of any large private charities until the foundation of the
Buonanini di S. Martino in the mid-fifteenth century. | en_US |
dc.description.sponsorship | Westfield College Postgraduate Studentship,
The Central Research Fund of the University of London
Italian Government Scholarship. | en_US |
dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
dc.publisher | Queen Mary University of London | en_US |
dc.rights | The copyright of this thesis rests with the author and no quotation from it or information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the author | |
dc.subject | Devotional and charitable confraternities | en_US |
dc.subject | Late medieval Florence | en_US |
dc.subject | San Michele | en_US |
dc.title | PIETY AND CHARITY IN LATE MEDIEVAL FLORENCE Religious Confraternities from the Middle of the Thirteenth Century to the Late Fifteenth Century | en_US |
dc.type | Thesis | en_US |