Life and Miracles of Saint Margaret of Cortona

Shannon Larson, Thomas Renna

Description

Saint Margaret of Cortona is the light of the Third Order of Fracis. Such is the theme of the most extensive biography of any Franciscan Tertiary in the Middle Ages. Margaret's extraordinary career brings the historian closer to the early development of the Franciscans and the Order of Penance; it tells us much about how women saints were described, and about how civic cults of saints emerged. Another window, although a smaller one, opens to the tensions between the Franciscan Community and the Spiritual Franciscans before the split prior to Pope John XXII. Indeed it could be said that we know more about Margaret of Cortona than about any woman of thirteenth-century Italy, with the exception of Clare of Assisi and Clare of Montefalco. This edition is translated from the critical Latin edition by Fortunato Iozzelli, O.F.M. of The Life of Saint Margaret of Cortona by Fra Giunta Bevegnati. The original translation by Thomas Renna has been edited by Shannon Larson.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• History of religions
• Islam

Informations

• Publié par: The Franciscan Institute
• Date de parution: 01 septembre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781576595121
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

T HE L IFEAND M IRACLES OF S AINT M ARGARETOF C ORTONA (12471297)

F RA G IUNTA B EVEGNATI

T RANSLATIONAND I NTRODUCTIONBY T HOMAS R ENNA E DITEDBY S HANNON L ARSON

© Francîscan Instîtute Pubîcatîons St. Bonaventure Unîversîty St. Bonaventure, NY 2012 No portîon of thîs book may be reproduced or transmîtted în any form or by any means, eectronîc or mechanîca, wîthout permîssîon în wrîtîng from the pubîsher.

Fortunato Iozzeî, O.F.M. Legenda de vita et miraculis Beatae Margaritae de Cortona.

ISBN 10: 1-57659-301-0 ISBN 13: 978-1-57659-301-1 E-ISBN 10: 1-57659-302-9 E-ISBN 13: 978-57659-302-8

Cover îmage Margarîta da Cortona by Gîovannî Francesco Barbîerî (î Guercîno) în the Pînacoteca, Vatîcan Museum; photograph by Brîan J. McMorrow. Used wîth permîssîon.

Lîbrary of Congress Cataoguîng-în-Pubîcatîon Data

Bevegnatî, Gîunta, 13th/14th cent. [Legenda de vîta et mîracuîs Beatae Margarîtae de Cortona. Engîsh] The îfe and mîraces of Saînt Margaret of Cortona (1247-1297) / Fra Gîunta Bevegnatî ; transated by Thomas Renna ; edîted by Shannon Larson. -- Fîrst [edîtîon]. p. cm. Incudes bîbîographîca references and îndex. ISBN 978-1-57659-301-1 (ak. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-57659-302- 8 (e-book) 1. Margherîta, da Cortona, Saînt, 1247-1297. 2. Chrîstîan women saînts--Itay--Bîography. 3. Women mystîcs--Itay--Hîstory. I. Renna, Thomas, transator. II. Tîte BX4700.M36B4813 2012 271'.97302--dc23 2012020539

Prînted în the Unîted States of Amerîca BookMasters, Inc. Ashand, OH

To Pamea, Jerem, Kevîn, Chrîstopher, Rebecca, Destîny, Marrîana, Aexîs

In memory of Anthony

P REFACE

When Pau Lachance, O.F.M., mentîoned to me în 1996 that a crîtîca edîtîon of the Lîfe of St. Margaret of Cortona was forthcomîng, I îmmedîatey decîded to transate ît as soon as the work became avaîabe. The superb crîtîca Latîn edî- tîon (1997) îs by Fortunato Iozzeî, O.F.M., who encouraged me to undertake the project. My conversatîons wîth Father Lachance and Father Iozzeî on înterpretatîons of the text steadîy întensîied my înterest în St. Margaret and her bî- ographer. They are, of course, absoved from any guît for the vîews expressed în my Introductîon, whîch are my own. I wîsh to thank Margaret Carney, O.S.F., former Dean and Dîrector of the Francîscan Instîtute at St. Bonaventure Unîversîty and currenty Presîdent of St. Bonaventure Unî- versîty, for her unceasîng enthusîasm for the transatîon. Remînîscent of Pope Juîus II’s admonîtîons to Mîcheangeo în the Sîstîne Chape – “When wî you make an end of ît?” – Sîster Margaret hounded me unreentîngy and mercîessy to get ît done. No study coud have provîded me wîth the brîîant însîghts Sîster Margaret gave me on St. Margaret’s tîes wîth the Thîrd Order of Francîs. I aso extend a specîa word of gratîtude to Sîster Rosangea Genau of the Convento dî S. Margherîta of Cortona, who assîsted me în countess ways and întroduced me to numerous peope în Cortona and esewhere. Because of Sîster Rosangea my devotîon to St. Margaret extends beyond my schoary înterest. Fînay, I treasure my frîendshîp wîth Don Pîero Becherînî, pastor of the parîshes of SS. Pîetro e Paoo în Pozzuoo and of St. Mar- garet’s îtte church în Lavîano, who taught me how to reach the Margaret behînd the wrîtten bîography.

6

The Life and Miracles of Saint Margaret of Cortona

I am gratefu to the staffs of the îbrarîes at the Unîver- sîty of Mîchîgan, Unîversîty of Chîcago, Cathoîc Theoogî- ca Unîon în Chîcago, Sacred Heart Dîocesan Semînary în Detroît, St. Bonaventure Unîversîty în New York, Coegîo dî S. Lorenzo da Brîndîsî (Istîtuto Storîco deî Cappuccînî) în Rome, Bîbîoteca Coegîo dî S. Bonaventurae în Grottafer- rata (Rome), Archîvîo de Comune în Cortona, Bîbîoteca de Comune e de’Accademîa Etrusca în Cortona, Bîbîothéque Ecoe Françaîse de Rome, Bîbîoteca Antonîanum Pontîfîcîe Unîversîtá, Bîbîoteca Apostoîca Vatîcana, and the Archîvîo de Convento dî S. Margherîta în Cortona. Sagînaw Vaey State Unîversîty provîded generous research grants for thîs project every year sînce 1996. I thank Donad Bachand, Pro- vost and Vîce Presîdent for Academîc Affaîrs at Sagînaw Va- ey State Unîversîty, for hîs undevîatîng support. I dedîcate thîs transatîon to my wîfe, Pamea, who deserves the most credît for thîs work. If Margaret was the second Magdaene, Pamea îs the second Margaret. Thîs transatîon îs from the magîsterîa crîtîca edîtîon (from Ms. 61, the odest manuscrîpt copy) of Fortunato Ioz- zeî, whîch supercedes a prevîous edîtîons. Fra Gîunta Bev- egnatî’s Latîn presents no partîcuar dîficutîes, athough he can be repetîtîve and gîven to ong, jumbed sentences. It îs împossîbe to te what kînd of academîc educatîon he had, a- though hîs anguage îs certaîny not eoquent. The dîaogues seem at tîmes cooquîa, and many passages seem hurrîed. I have trîed to keep my transatîon faîry îtera, athough I have resorted to aternate expressîons of the same words and phrases to avoîd borîng dupîcatîons. Occasîonay I use Amerîcanîsms to express the emotîve force of Chrîst’s amen- tatîons. I can assure the reader that I have avoîded fancîfu and free rendîtîons. The voîce you hear îs that of Margaret, not mîne.

Thomas Renna Saginaw Valley State University

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface Introductîon Proogue I. Concernîng Her Way of Lîfe în the Secuar Habît

II. Concernîng Her Compete Conversîon to God

III. Concernîng the Austerîty of Her Lîfe  and Her Zea for Poverty

IV. Her Profound Humîîty

V. Medîtatîon on the Passîon of Chrîst

VI. On Her Devout Prayer

7

5 9 43 45 51

75 83 105 149

VII. Purîty of Conscîence and Frequent Confessîon  and Communîon 177 VIII. Her Materna Pîety and Zea for Sous 205 IX. The Reveatîon of Secrets 227 X. Her Indescrîbabe Fear Concernîng A That She Bore, and Her Desîre for Her Death 281 XI. Mîraces 303

Appendîx:  Decaratîon of Authentîcîty  Bîbîography  Index of Scrîpture

327 329 337

I NTRODUCTION

Saînt Margaret of Cortona îs the îght of the Thîrd Order of Francîs. Such îs the theme of the most extensîve bîography of any Francîscan Tertîary în the Mîdde Ages. Margaret’s extraordînary career brîngs the hîstorîan coser to the eary deveopment of the Francîscans and the Order of Penance; ît tes us much about how women saînts were descrîbed, and about how cîvîc cuts of saînts emerged. Another wîndow, athough a smaer one, opens on the tensîons between the Francîscan Communîty and the Spîrîtua Francîscans be- fore the spît prîor to Pope John XXII. Indeed ît coud be saîd that we know more about Margaret of Cortona than about any woman of thîrteenth-century Itay, wîth the exceptîon of Care of Assîsî and Care of Montefaco. Who was Margaret of Cortona? From Fra Gîunta of Bev- 1 2 egnatî’s bîography and other contemporary sources – and mîsceaneous references to her down to the eîghteenth cen- 3 tury – severa facts are cear. Margaret (1247-1297) was born 1  Fortunato Iozzeî, ed.,Legenda de vita et miraculis Beatae Mar garitae de Cortona(Grottaferrata: Edîtîones Coegîî S. Bonaventurae ad Caras Aquas, 1997). 2 See M. Nutî,Margherita da Cortona: La sua leggenda e la sua storia (Rome, 1951). There îs no sînge study that assembes a references to Margaret. These storîes are mentîoned by Fortunato Iozzeî, André Vau- chez, J. Cannon, A. Benvenutî Papî, M. Jacobeî, Roberto Rusconî, and M. D’Aatrî în the works cîted beow. 3 Many of these post-1400 references appear în the canonîzatîon pro- ceedîngs. See în partîcuar F. Marchese,Vita della b. Margherita di Cor tona(Rome, 1673); L. Jacobeî, “La beata Margherîta da Lavîano,” înSanti e Beati dell’Umbria, vo. 3 (Foîgno, 1647); T. Dantî,Compendio della Vita, Virtù, Morte e de Miracoli di S. Margherita di Cortona(Rome, 1728). After revîewîng the canonîzatîon materîa în the Bîbîoteca Apostoîca Vatîcana and the Archîvîo de Comune în Cortona, I can say that there are very few