Nicholas Trevet : le théologien anglais qui parlait à l’oreille des Italiens

The commentaries composed by the English theologian Nicholas Trevet at the beginning of the fourteenth century not only bear witness to his connections with Santa Maria Novella. They also testify to the importance of his contribution to the transfer of knowledge about Antiquity and the rebirth of antiquarianism in the Italian peninsula. This essay argues that Trevet’s Scholastic commentaries, presented as an expositio, met the need that Italian intellectuals had of a fuller understanding of classic literature, pagan mythology and Roman history.

L’usura tra Santa Croce e Santa Maria Novella:

Between 1290 and 1310, two Mendicant friars active in Florence dealt with the controversial issue of usury: the Franciscan lector Peter of Trabibus, who until now has been studied primarily for his relationship to Olivi’s teaching, and the Dominican Remigio de’ Girolami. In the mid-nineties of the thirteenth century, in the context of his quodlibetal questions, Peter of Trabibus discusses the social role of merchants and he broaches the question of the restitution of usurious gains. Some years later, Remigio also deals with similar issues in his quodlibetal questions and writes a treatise that bears the title De peccato usurae.

L’ordre dominicain dans le ciel du soleil.

This article analyses the dynamic role of Justice in Dante’s Comedy. As the judge of his Otherworld, Dante establishes harsh punishments for the sinners in his Inferno. Moreover, he attacks their earthly fame in a way similar to what he experienced as an exile condemned to death by his Commune. Dante also defines the lighter penitences which torture the souls of his Purgatorio. Finally, Dante’s Justice shines alive in his Paradiso, first in the sky of Mercury and then, at its apotheosis, in the sky of Jupiter, when the eagle an-wers Dante the Pilgrim’s difficult questions about the salvation of pagan souls. As the eagle points out, even the blessed souls do not know the names of all the saved ones, and this remark should invite mortals to restrain from judging their peers. A similar message seems to be at the very heart of Aquinas’ speech in the sky of the Sun.

Introduction

This volume aims to foster the dialogue between two usually distinct scholarly traditions: on the one hand, the studies revolving around cultural and political activity, as well as the didactic, theological, religious and pastoral initiatives undertaken by the Dominican Order in the urban context; on the other hand, the scholarship on the history of Florence between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, seen as a case study representative of the evolutions of late medieval communal institutions in the Italian peninsula. The essays focus on the reciprocal interactions and influences between religious and political cultures, along with those between mendicant and lay contexts.

Gli “Ammaestramenti degli Antichi” di Bartolomeo da San Concordio.

Bartholomew of San Concordio translated his Documenta antiquorum into the vernacular presumably around 1297-1302, during his stay at the convent of Santa Maria Novella. Cesare Segre suggested such a date based on the dedication of the translation to Geri Spini, a Florentine banker and politician who was a supporter of the Black Guelfs and a close friend of Corso Donati. However, the relationships between the Dominican Friar and the Commune of Florence, as well as the potential connections between Bartholomew’s self-translation and Florentine political contingencies, are still to be investigated.

Lo “studium” e la biblioteca di Santa Maria Novella nel Duecento e nei primi anni del Trecento (con una postilla sul Boezio di Trevet)

Building on recent scholarship, this article sketches the development of the Florentine studium of Santa Maria Novella in the thirteenth century, before it became a studium generale between 1305 and 1311. The catalogue of Santa Maria Novella’s library and the information regarding works which were conceived there are collected and analysed to outline the core of the ancient library. The first quire of the manuscript Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Conv. soppr. G 3.451 (cc. 1-8) constitutes a notable case study for the learning interests of Dominican friars. Finally, this article discusses the controversial letter written by Nicholas Trevet to the dedicatee of his commentary on Boethius’ Consolatio Philosophiae and re-assesses its disputed connec- tion with the Florentine environment.

Poesia e filosofia a Firenze tra Santa Croce e Santa Maria Novella

This article draws a comparison between the thirteenth- and fourteenth-century library collection of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria Novella and that of the Franciscan convent of Santa Croce. Such an investigation casts new light on the links between philosophy and po- etry which enliven Dante’s literary production. In particular, the author considers Aristotelian works as potential vehicles of literary knowledge about, for instance, Homeric characters.

Influences et interactions entre Santa Maria Novella et la commune de Florence.

At the turn of the fourteenth century (1295-1301), the Florentine Dominican Remigio de’ Girolami produced a collection of essential texts connected to events in Florentine politics that present the testimony of a well-informed intellectual directly involved in the Communal crises. This article proposes to analyze, as a case study, the influence of Remigio’s five sermons on Florentine communal life. His preaching in reaction to the crises shaking Florence happened in dialogue with the institutions and citizens of the Commune. It bears witness to the interactions between Santa Maria Novella and the city of Florence and contributes to the development of the political philosophy of its time.

Disciplinamento sociale e teologia nei Quodlibeta di Pietro de Trabibus

This article analyzes some questiones quodlibetales (1296-1297) delivered by Peter of Trabibus, a Florentine Franciscan of Santa Croce. He reflects on and attempts to regulate Florentine society in times of unprecedented political and economic dynamism. Dealing with the definition of “new” sins, these questions examine tantalizing cases pertaining to economic life outside the convent, and which thus constitute matters of great juridical and political interest. The critical edition of Petrus of Trabibus’ questions 17 to 22, Quodlibet 2, here published for the first time, completes this contribution.

Giordano da Pisa e il pubblico

The production of Giordano da Pisa (1260-1310) offers an excellent example for assessing the relationship between a Dominican preacher and his lay audience. His preaching presents simultaneously all the features that make it possible to regard it as a document of how the preacher and the public may have influenced each other. This paper illustrates how the friar proposes a social model and individual behaviours in the relationship between the ideal world and reality.