The Virtue of Vice: Preaching the Cardinal Virtues in the Sermons of Remigio dei Girolami

Abstract

Many historians have studied the Dominican preacher, Remigio dei Girolami, for his insightful, if severe, views on Florentine politics and theory in the fourteenth century. While Remigio's political treatises have earned translations and commentary, his sermons have not enjoyed the same attention. Moreover, the Dominican has often been regarded as an extre mist of political thought and his religious roles as preacher and lector at Santa Maria Novella dismissed. This article questions the divisions some historians have made between Remigio's political and spiritual writings, implicit in the neglect of the latter works. This article argues for a more holistic approach to looking at Remigio's works and to incorporate his Sermones de sanctis into the political and philosophical views expressed in his more popular treatises. As a case study, the article explores five sermons for the feast-day of the Dominican patron saint, Mary Magdalen, written around 1300. In particular, this article builds upon certain themes Remigio dei Girolami develops in his political treatises, namely Aristotle, under the guise of the cardinal virtues and the role of virtuous citizenship.