An irreducible plural: Franciscan observances in Europe (15th century)

Abstract

The paper argues that within the Franciscan Order, the question of regular Observance raised specific problems which are unknown in the other religious orders. It highlights the place of Observance within Franciscan history (and the issue of 'fidelity' to Francis and to the Rule) and discusses the various Franciscan reactions to the demand of a strictior observantia of the Rule (beyond the traditional regularis observantia). The paper underscores the main trends of historiography on the Observance, from chronicles and literature of the fifteenth century to the ecclesiastical erudition of the Early Modern Age, up to the most recent historiography. The author suggests that, above all when considering Franciscan Observance at a European scale, it is appropriate to speak in plural of Franciscan observances. Considering a wide variety of sources (both documentary and literary), the author reflects on the very meaning of 'observance' in the context of Franciscan history. She then defines the characteristics of Observant spirituality, with a clear distinction between the Italici patres (and the Cismontanian area entrusted to them) and the other European contexts, mainly beyond the Alps.