A Companion to San Bernardino da Siena

Series: 

Bernardino da Siena (Massa Marittima 1380 - L'Aquila 1444) is one of the most famous preachers of the 15th century. He was canonized in 1450 and has been considered for centuries the charismatic "founder" of the Franciscan Observance. He definitely made an impact on the church and society of his time. Thanks to the spreading fame of his charisma, he gave rise to a long-lasting tradition that goes even beyond the Franciscan history. This companion thoughtfully retraces these stereotypes, and reflects the multifaceted personality of a character who, beyond the traditional triumphalist reading, deserves a fresh focus.
Copyright Year:
2026
E-Book (PDF)
Availability:
Not Yet Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-73280-3
Publication:
25 Jun 2026
Hardback
Availability:
Not Yet Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-38704-1
Publication:
16 Jul 2026
Cover A Companion to San Bernardino da Siena

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Letizia Pellegrini is professor in History of Christianity in the University of Macerata. She specializes in medieval religious studies and church history. Her publications include the edition and study of Bernardino’s canonization process (in Italian, Il processo di canonizzazione di Bernardino da Siena (Frati editori di Quaracchi, 2009).
List of Figures
Notes on Contributors

Introduction
 Letizia Pellegrini

Part 1 Focus on the Character: a Franciscan Biography and/or a de facto Watershed?

1 The Life of Bernardino da Siena: an Introduction
 Pietro Delcorno

2 Bernardino as a Friar: His Life in the Order and the Issue of Franciscan Observance
 Letizia Pellegrini

3 Bernardino da Siena as Preacher
 Pietro Delcorno and Roberto Rusconi

4 Bernardino as a Saint in the Middle of the Quattrocento: among Other Saints, within the Franciscan Order, for the Roman Church
 Letizia Pellegrini

Part 2 Reflecting on Bernardino’s Life: His Legacy in Franciscan and Western Tradition

5 Bernardino as a Popular Preacher: Historiography, Themes, Prospects
 Bert Roest

6 Writing about Saint Bernardino: a Mapping of Hagiographic Literature
 Daniele Solvi

7 Bernardino within and beyond the Franciscan Tradition: Theology, Exegesis, and Spirituality
 Alberto Forni and Paolo Vian

8 The Economic-Political Thought of Bernardino
 Paolo Evangelisti

9 Bernardino, Franciscan Observance and Humanistic Culture
 Serena Spanò Martinelli

Part 3 Bernardino and the History of Art between the Late Middle Ages and the Early Renaissance

10 Depicting Bernardino da Siena: 1444–1517
 Pavla Langer and Luca Pezzuto

11 Bernardino in Context: Preachers, Artists, and Powers in Renaissance Italy
 Nirit Ben-Aryeh Debby

Epilogue: Bernardino at a Glance
 George Ferzoco and Carolyn Muessig

Index of Names
Index of Places
Index of Manuscripts
Libraries for academic research in the humanities, and libraries of religious institutions. The contributions cover - in the context of the fifteenth century - Franciscan history, humanistic culture, mass communication, art history, hagiography and economic thought. The book, highly innovative, is suitable both for scholars of religious history (as an update) and for students (as a basic key to the figure and the Quattrocento). Keywords: Franciscan History; Franciscan Observance; Hagiography; Late Medieval Preaching; Canonizations; Humanistic Culture; Renaissance Art History; Religious studies; Late Middle Ages; Ecclesiastical History; Late Medieval Iconography; Franciscan Iconography; Mediaeval Economic thought; Late Medieval Italy; Early modern age; 15th century; Religious life; Mendicant Orders; Mass communication; History of Preaching; Sermon studies; Cultural History; Early Modern Preaching; Franciscan Tradition.
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