Clare of Assisi

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Clare's Rule: Weaving Together Law and Life

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pp. 1-20

Clare of Assisi (1192-1253) is perhaps one of the most remarkable women of the Middle Ages. For centuries, however, her accomplishments have been seen through the filter of the fame of her "spiritual father," Francis of Assisi. But as we approach the 800th anniversary of Clare's birth, more and more people are acknowledging that the Franciscan Movement of the...

Clare of Assisi, The Eucharis and John 13

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pp. 21-43

The story is told that shortly before the death of Francis, Clare, herself very sick, expressed her desire to see him before she died. Because "he loved her and her sisters," Francis sent a letter to her containing a blessing, telling the brother who carried it to inform Clare that before she died she would again see Francis. This meeting is described by the companions in the following way:...

Like A Beguine: Clare Before 1212

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pp. 44-64

According to the eye-witness accounts, Clare of Assisi and the household of women in the Offreduccio family lived as an intense spiritual lay community before Francis came to visit Clare. Too often Clare is depicted primarily as the little plant, the "plantula" of Francis, while her life before Francis is overlooked. The historical evidence about Clare's early life as...

The Legenda Versificata: Towards an Official Biography

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pp. 65-89

While working on Clare of Assisi: Early Documents I was continually faced with the question: should I translate a mysterious text contained in the Assisi Codex 338, the Legenda versificata Sanctae Clarae? Consultation with some colleagues confirmed my suspicion that the work was unimportant, redundant, and, since it did not contain any new information...

Elias and Clare: An Enigmatic Relationship

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pp. 90-111

Prior to the publication of his more weighty monograph on St. Clare in 1989,1 the young Italian historian, Marco Bartoli, had published a stimulating article in 1980 in which he took as his theme the reactions of Clare to the momentous changes within the Franciscan Order, beginning with the issuance of the bull Quo elongati on 28 September 1230 and running up to the moment...