2 - The Space: Libraries and Franciscan Manuscripts in Padua

Summary

Introduction

In a passage of his Cronica, the Franciscan friar Salimbene of Adam describes a dispute between the Dominican lector Peter of Apulia and the Franciscan master Hugh of Digne. According to Salimbene, Peter, a learned and eloquent man, claimed that he could not care less about the doctrine of Joachim of Fiore, a statement that prompted a resolute answer from Hugh. After persuading Peter by demonstrating the unquestionable truth of Joachim of Fiore's doctrine, Hugh addressed their audience, drawing attention to the fact that it was no longer possible to consider the Franciscan order a group of simple, unlearned men.

The figure of Hugh, highly praised by Salimbene, was almost at the opposite end of the spectrum of the simple and unlearned members of the idealized first Franciscan brotherhood, and reflected the transformation of the community into an order that could rival Benedictines and Dominicans in their devotion to study. In fact, the recruiting of master Alexander of Hales at the University of Paris in 1236 became the unquestionable proof of the swift success of the Franciscan order, which by the end of the thirteenth century had attracted many of the most influential and renowned intellectuals of the time: Peter Cattani, Caesarius of Speyer, John Pian del Carpine, John Parenti, Anthony of Padua and Haymo of Faversham, among others.

At the origin of the intellectual eagerness of the order was the increasing need of theological education for the friars responsible for preaching. The whole process was supported by an efficient network of schools that offered the possibility of reaching the highest levels of learning to the most talented students, who were expected to attend the lectio regularly. Naturally, learning depended on the use of books, and therefore the Franciscan schools should be provided with book collections that guaranteed continuity in studies.Consequently, very quickly the library, understood not only as a physical place but also as the collection of books, became one of the most important spaces in Franciscan convents.

As mentioned before, Franciscan libraries have been considered a topic of research within the study of Franciscan institutional history and Franciscan education. Another area of research is devoted to edited sources, mainly inventories, complemented with the identification and description of the books registered in these documents.