This project aims to show how, from early 17th century, the Jesuits greatly
influenced the legal system of canonization and contributed to shape the Italian
Catholic society through a set of religious-cultural, imitable values, which were
embodied by the hagiographical model of the aristocratic Jesuit (or Jesuit-
influenced) saint. It does so by assessing 1) the recently rediscovered normative
treatise Directorium canonizationis sanctorum by Jesuit Virgilio Cepari (1605),
which is a seminal and yet unstudied (even considered lost) source for the legal
system of canonizations in the Early Modern Age; 2) three case-studies of early
modern Jesuit or Jesuit-influenced models of sanctity, namely the aristocratic
Jesuits Roberto Bellarmino (1542-1621) and Luigi Gonzaga (1568-91), and
Carmelite nun Maria Maddalena De’ Pazzi (1566-1607). Gender is key to understand the construction of the hagiographical model of De’ Pazzi. Starting
from archival research and the study of printed hagiographies, this project
employs approaches of the history of ideas applied to the history of Church, viz.
the assessment of religious concepts (e.g. sanctity, heroic virtues) promoted
in hagiographical or normative texts, as they were used to create imitable
models of sanctity. Inputs coming from the field of legal history, history
of women in religion and sociology will also be used. The project will impact
both the scientific community and the wider public: 1) this project signals a
paradigm shift in ways of looking at the role of the Jesuits in the development of
the idea of early modern sanctity. Four articles will be submitted to peer
reviewed journals, a conference organized, and new material for teaching and
learning proposed; 2) it will raise awareness of the importance of historical
research through both a public exhibition and workshops for high school
students; 3) via this fellowship at University of Turin, I will undertake training
(e.g. teaching, supervision) to ensure I am equipped for professorship.
Questo progetto dimostra come sin dal Seicento i gesuiti abbiano influenzato le
norme di canonizzazione, plasmando la società cattolica italiana con un set di
valori imitabili, incarnati dal modello agiografico del santo aristocratico. A tal
fine esamina 1) il Directorium del gesuita Cepari (1605), fonte normativa chiave
per la santità moderna (considerata perduta sino a tempi recenti); 2) tre casi-
studio di modelli di santità aristocratica gesuitica: R. Bellarmino (1542-1621), L.
Gonzaga (1568-91) e la carmelitana M. M. De' Pazzi (1566-1607). Basato su fonti
d’archivio e a stampa, questo progetto utilizza un approccio interdisciplinare:
storia delle idee applicata alla storia della Chiesa, storia legale, storia delle
donne, sociologia. Tra i risultati: 4 articoli scientifici, conferenza, esibizione
museale, workshops.
influenced the legal system of canonization and contributed to shape the Italian
Catholic society through a set of religious-cultural, imitable values, which were
embodied by the hagiographical model of the aristocratic Jesuit (or Jesuit-
influenced) saint. It does so by assessing 1) the recently rediscovered normative
treatise Directorium canonizationis sanctorum by Jesuit Virgilio Cepari (1605),
which is a seminal and yet unstudied (even considered lost) source for the legal
system of canonizations in the Early Modern Age; 2) three case-studies of early
modern Jesuit or Jesuit-influenced models of sanctity, namely the aristocratic
Jesuits Roberto Bellarmino (1542-1621) and Luigi Gonzaga (1568-91), and
Carmelite nun Maria Maddalena De’ Pazzi (1566-1607). Gender is key to understand the construction of the hagiographical model of De’ Pazzi. Starting
from archival research and the study of printed hagiographies, this project
employs approaches of the history of ideas applied to the history of Church, viz.
the assessment of religious concepts (e.g. sanctity, heroic virtues) promoted
in hagiographical or normative texts, as they were used to create imitable
models of sanctity. Inputs coming from the field of legal history, history
of women in religion and sociology will also be used. The project will impact
both the scientific community and the wider public: 1) this project signals a
paradigm shift in ways of looking at the role of the Jesuits in the development of
the idea of early modern sanctity. Four articles will be submitted to peer
reviewed journals, a conference organized, and new material for teaching and
learning proposed; 2) it will raise awareness of the importance of historical
research through both a public exhibition and workshops for high school
students; 3) via this fellowship at University of Turin, I will undertake training
(e.g. teaching, supervision) to ensure I am equipped for professorship.
Questo progetto dimostra come sin dal Seicento i gesuiti abbiano influenzato le
norme di canonizzazione, plasmando la società cattolica italiana con un set di
valori imitabili, incarnati dal modello agiografico del santo aristocratico. A tal
fine esamina 1) il Directorium del gesuita Cepari (1605), fonte normativa chiave
per la santità moderna (considerata perduta sino a tempi recenti); 2) tre casi-
studio di modelli di santità aristocratica gesuitica: R. Bellarmino (1542-1621), L.
Gonzaga (1568-91) e la carmelitana M. M. De' Pazzi (1566-1607). Basato su fonti
d’archivio e a stampa, questo progetto utilizza un approccio interdisciplinare:
storia delle idee applicata alla storia della Chiesa, storia legale, storia delle
donne, sociologia. Tra i risultati: 4 articoli scientifici, conferenza, esibizione
museale, workshops.