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Round table “Missionary Archives and Linguistic-Cultural Interactions”

On 11 July 2024, the General Archive of the Carmelite Order took part in the round table discussion ’Missionary Archives and Linguistic-Cultural Interactions”scheduled as part of the conference days “Mapping and Translating Spaces, Cultures and Languages Experiences Connected to Empires and Missions (1500-1700)”. The event, promoted by the Institute of History of the Mediterranean Europe – CNR and the Department of European, American and Intercultural Studies of Sapienza University of Rome, took place at the headquarters of the National Institute of Roman Studies on the Aventine Hill.

The speakers at the round table represented various ecclesiastical archives and presented documentary material relating to religious missions within the Portuguese Empire in the early modern period, illustrating some examples of linguistic mediation between friars from Europe and indigenous communities in South America, Africa, and Asia.

Present were: Simona Serci for the General Archive of the Carmelite Order; Flavio Belluomini for the Historical Archive ‘de Propaganda Fide’; Axel Alt for the General Archive of the Discalced Carmelites; Festo Mkenda, S.J. for the Archivum Romanum Societatis Iesu; Patrizia Morelli for the Archive of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin; Andrés Gómez Rozo, O.S.A. for the General Archive of the Augustinians.

The moment was fruitful not only for the archivists, who were able to share the specificities and analogies between their archives, but also for the scholars present (historians, linguists, art historians, anthropologists, etc.), who greatly appreciated this virtual journey through the sources.

THE TREASURES OF THE LIBRARY

Work in progress: the incunabula of the General Library of the Carmelites

We are pleased to inform you that the Carmelite General Library has recently begun the cataloguing of its incunabula, with the aim of producing a printed catalogue, published by Viella and included in the editorial series “Incunaboli”, directed by Marco Palma.

The catalogue, whose importance also lies in the fact that it is the first volume in the series to examine the incunabula held in a Roman library, will be edited by Sara Bischetti, librarian at the Biblioteca Generale Carmelitana, and Rosa Parlavecchia, lecturer in Elements of Book History at the University of Salerno.

The initiative is part of a broader objective aimed at enhancing the library's book heritage, starting with its oldest collections, as well as promoting and disseminating knowledge of the Carmelite Order.

While awaiting the catalogue's publication, the project's initial findings will be presented at the Study Day “Describing Incunabula,” scheduled for 11 October 2024 at the University of Catania.

COMMUNICATIONS

The Director's Greeting

Dear readers,

With the summer closure of the General Archive and Library, I am leaving my post as director to undertake a new mission, after nine years as General Archivist and two and a half years as General Librarian.

It has been an exhilarating experience of learning, collaboration, and challenges to be faced. When I was entrusted with this work, I carried with me the dream of making the Archive and, subsequently, the Library places for meeting and exchanging ideas, research, and projects. Places where people can come together in an atmosphere of welcome and friendship, with the Carmelite community of the Sant'Alberto International Centre as their natural environment. And thanks to a wonderful team effort, this has been achieved. If I were to encapsulate my experience over these years in one word, I would certainly say it is Relationships.

We have endeavoured to nurture relationships at multiple levels. The immediate one was in reference to our rich archival and library heritage, which we treated not so much as a deposit to be guarded, but as the living reality of an institution, with its eight hundred years of history, which still tells its story and wishes to make itself known. Therefore, we not only set about creating or improving conservation and research systems (inventories, catalogues, digitisation, restorations), but we also dedicated ourselves to promoting studies on this heritage through annual research grants, project collaborations, and internships. Aware that our heritage belongs to everyone, we have worked to publicise both what we have inherited and our initiatives through various social channels, conferences, study days, and publications. Finally, we were accompanied by the other realisation that the Order's heritage is part of a much broader cultural heritage and that only through collaboration with other institutions, similar or otherwise, can more effective objectives be achieved. And so we have forged significant relationships with individuals and bodies within the Order, including at an international level, while at a national level with the Italian Episcopal Conference, the Ecclesiastical Archival Association, and the Order of the Servants of Mary.

Thanks to research and the obtaining of financial resources from the CEI, the Italian Ministry of Culture, and other channels, not to mention the indispensable contribution of the Order, it has been possible to bring all of this to fruition. Of course, there is still much to be done, but I believe that in recent years we have set the direction to follow, and the next person to lead the General Archives and Library will achieve even more and to a higher standard. I thank you, our readers, who follow and support our activities, and I wish everyone a happy holiday!

Mario Alfarano

Closure

Our institutions will be closed for the summer break on the following dates:

General archive 

Fri 2 Aug 2024 – Mon 26 Aug 2024

Carmelite General Library

Fri 2 August 2024 – Sun 25 August 2024.

We take this opportunity to wish you Have a good summer!

To read the Newsletter online and to subscribe, please visit the following web address:

https://www.ocarm.info/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/archive/prayer/20240801120944/

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Events

Presentation of Marco Papasidero's book

Tuesday 9 April 2024, at 4 p.m., at Roma Tre University, Department of Humanities, the volume will be presented Miracles and Benefits. Illness, Thaumaturgy, and Devotion in Licata and Sicily in the Early Modern Period (Carmelite Editions, 2021), produced through archival research.

The author will be in dialogue with Professors Paolo Broggio, Maria Chiara Giorda and Carla Noce, from Roma Tre University. The event will be introduced by Giovanna Brizi, Postulator General of the Carmelite Order.

Research Grants

AGOC Research Grant – Eighth Edition (2024)

As every year, the General Archive of the Carmelite Order has announced a selection for the awarding of a research grant, named in memory of Fr. Emanuele Boaga, who was the Order's archivist general for approximately thirty years.

Projects must be centred on historical, religious, philological, or archival research, starting from an analysis of the documentary heritage preserved in our Archive. The objective is to produce a scientific study based on the research undertaken (article, monograph, edition of sources, inventory, etc.), the publication of which will be evaluated by Carmelitan Editions.

The deadline for submitting applications is 31 July 2024.

For further details, please refer to the call for applications. 

Le curiosità dell'’Archive

Autograph letter from the Mantuan

The Blessed Giovanni Battista Spagnoli, known as Mantuanus (1447-1516), a Carmelite humanist and poet, led the Mantuan Reform for a long period, later becoming Prior General of the Order in 1513. In the autograph letter of 28 August 1514, which we show you here, Mantuanus wrote to Nicolò Audet (1481-1562), who had become Provincial of the Holy Land, ordering him to travel to Cyprus, the seat of the aforementioned province, to take possession of it. Audet, in fact, was delaying his transfer from Venice, where he had resided until then. This is correspondence between two prominent figures in Carmelite history: a serving general, Mantuanus, and a future general, Audet, who ten years later would also be elected head of the Order.

Furthermore, the letter is also a relic, as it is personally signed by the blessed Mantovano.

Given its importance, the document was restored in 2018 by Dr. Eulalia Ramos, who made it legible and consultable again.

Alerts

Easter Closure

Our institutions will be closed for the Easter holidays on the following days:

General archive

From Tuesday 26th March to Tuesday 2nd April 2024

Carmelite General Library

from Tuesday 2 April to Friday 5 April 2024.

Cogliamo l’occasione per augurarvi A serene Easter!

To read the Newsletter online and to subscribe, please visit the following web address:

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Carmelite Study Award 2023

BiGOC Research Grant – First edition

The first edition of the Research Grant announced by the General Carmelite Library has been won by Dr Rosa Parlavecchia, who will carry out a study entitled Reconstruction of the Traspontina Library based on the ownership notes present in the manuscripts and ancient books of the Carmelite General Library.

We hope that this work will be an opportunity to bring to light the richness of the library heritage of the Traspontina convent, which in ancient times was the seat of one of the most important places of Carmelite study and formation.

For further information, please refer to the tender and the award minutes. https://archivioocarm.com/assegno-di-ricerca-bigoc-prima-edizione-2023/

The Archive's Curiosities

The Carmelite liqueur

Among the treasures of our archive, we have rediscovered the ancient recipe for Carmelite spirit, as devised by a certain Father Bernardo, presumably at the end of the 18th century. We know neither Father Bernardo's surname nor his belonging convent, but his amaro must have been greatly appreciated if his recipe made its way to the Carmelite General Curia.

To be able to reproduce it, procure the purest wine alcohol, lemon balm, sage and thyme herbs – with the recommendation that they are not dried, but very fresh, picked during their flowering season – orange peel, rosemary flowers, artichoke flavourings, cinnamon, nutmeg, also coriander, anise and nettle seeds. Let everything macerate for at least two days, stirring from time to time, then distil and drink… but in moderation!

Carmelite publications

Giovedì 18 gennaio 2024, presso il Centro Internazionale Sant’Alberto (Roma), è stato presentato il volume The activities of Father Serafino Maria Potenza (1697-1763) through archival documents, di Simona Durante, pubblicato da Edizioni Carmelitane (vedi ABiGOC20/2023).

Alla presentazione sono intervenuti padre Vincenzo Criscuolo, ofmcap, già relatore generale del Dicastero delle Cause dei Santi, il professor Luca Carboni, dell’Archivio Apostolico Vaticano, e l’autrice. Tra i numerosi partecipanti erano presenti il segretario monsignor Fabio Fabene, il sottosegretario Bogusław Stanisław Turek e altri membri del Dicastero.

We are pleased to share some snapshots from the evening with you.

To read the Newsletter online and to subscribe, please visit the following web address:

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Carmelite publications

Interview with Simona Durante

Thursday 18 January 2024, at 6:00 p.m., at the International Centre St. Albert (Rome), the volume will be presented The activities of Father Serafino Maria Potenza (1697-1763) through archival documents, by Simona Durante, published by Edizioni Carmelitane.

At the occasion of this presentation, we interviewed the Author:

Simona, we know that you work as an archivist at the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints and that you have a deep understanding of the dynamics of beatification and canonisation processes throughout the centuries, within which the activity of Father Serafino Maria Potenza is situated. Could you describe to us the importance of this figure for the Carmelite Order and for the study of sainthood in general?

«The importance of Father Serafino Maria Potenza to the Carmelite Order is reflected in many aspects. 1) By promoting, with legal and historical-archival competence, the cause of canonisation of several of his brothers and sisters, during his activity as Postulator General. 2) By dedicating his life to collecting documents relating to the history of the Order, of the various convents belonging to it, as well as of those Carmelites who had most distinguished themselves by their fame of holiness, with particular attention to his fellow nuns. 3) By pouring all his commitment into the spiritual direction of those who entrusted themselves to him to walk the path of faith.»

Reading your volume, one can sense the vast amount of documentary material you had to review. Which archives were consulted?

«Most of the research was carried out at the General Archive of the Carmelites and the current one of the General Postulation of the Carmelites. The Archive of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints also played a decisive role. For the correspondence between Potenza and his confrère Father Ferdinando Salvi, the Archive of the Library of Art and History of San Giorgio in Poggiale (Bologna) and the General Archive of the Carmelite Nuns of Our Lady of the Graces of Bologna were valuable. The Archive of the Conservatory of the SS. Conception in Rome, that of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Conventual Archive of Saints Sylvester and Martin at the Monti in Rome, the Historical Archive of the Academy of the Arcadia, the Archive of the Charterhouse of Trisulti and the State Archive of Naples were also consulted.»

During your reading of the documents, has anything particularly struck you as curious?

«I was certainly drawn to the “Quinterni” dedicated to the spiritual direction of his female penitents. From them, one can glean a cross-section of society at the time, with particular reference to the practices of penance and “disciplines” that the spiritual daughters themselves, at times, inflicted upon themselves to atone for their sins. I was then struck by the letters between Father Serafino and Father Salvatore Pagnani of Capua, his confrère; furthermore, I was interested in the notes concerning the daily lives of the sovereigns of Naples and Sicily, Amalia of Saxony and Charles of Bourbon, and their relationship with the Capuan “Ritiro” of Carmelite nuns.»

For further information and to purchase the publication, please refer to the Edizioni Carmelitane website: 

www.edizionicarmelitane.org

Library Curiosities

An ancient Carmelite book

Among the ancient books in the General Carmelite Library is preserved a precious Parisian volume from 1528, which contains the first printed edition of the Latin treatise A Summary of Heresies and Their Refutations of the Carmelite Guy de Perpignan (1270-1342), also known by the name of Guido Terreni.

The 16th-century volume displays an interesting title page, enclosed within an elegant architectural frame, within which can be observed, in addition to the author's name and the work transmitted, also the printer's mark of the Flemish printer. Josse Bade Ascension. The logo represents the workshop of an old printer with three people at work, next to a wooden printing press: the “puller” in the centre, in the act of operating the bar to press the platen onto the sheet to be printed; the “roller” on the left, responsible for inking the pages of movable type; and the “compositor” on the right, tasked with composing the texts by aligning the movable type taken from the type case on the composing stick. In the foreground, two reams of paper are also noticeable, one still blank and one already printed. [Photo 1].

The volume, finely decorated with woodcut initial letters that mark the textual divisions, is accompanied by numerous marginal notes in contemporary hands, attesting to its extensive use in the period shortly after printing. [Photo 2].

PHOTO 1
PHOTO 2

Furthermore, the ownership note on the title page [Photo 1], also attributable to the 16th century, traces the 16th-century volume back to the ancient library of Santa Maria in Traspontina, from which most of the old books now kept at the General Carmelite Library originate.

Alerts

Christmas closure

Our institutions will be closed for the Christmas holidays on the following dates:

General archive 

Fri 22 December 2023 – Mon 8 January 2024

Carmelite General Library

Sat 23 December 2023 – Sun 7 January 2024.

We take this opportunity to wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Carmelite Missal, Venice 1730

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CALL «EMANUELE BOAGA» 2023

The competition, named in memory of Fr. Emanuele Boaga, now in its seventh edition, was conceived in 2017 to promote studies on the materials within the General Archive of the Carmelite Order. Each year, the submitted projects are examined by an international commission, primarily composed of Carmelite scholars.

This year the grant was won by Dr. Marek Bebak, with a project in Musicology, entitled Mapping Carmelite Musical Culture in Europe in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Preliminary research on the basis of the collection of the General Archive of the Carmelite Order in Rome..

We hope this work can shed light on such a little-known aspect of the Order's history.

For further information, please refer to the tender and the award minutes. https://archivioocarm.com/assegno-di-ricerca-alla-memoria-di-p-emanuele-boaga-o-carm-settima-edizione-2023/

Carmelite Publications

Interview with Jacopo De Santi

On the occasion of the printing of the volume Santa Maria in Traspontina. The life of a Carmelite community through archival documents. Inventory of the collection, published by Edizioni Carmelitane (2023), we interviewed the author.

Jacopo De Santis holds a PhD in History and Philosophical-Social Sciences, with a specialisation in Religious History; he is also a qualified archivist.

Jacopo, your publication is the result of the research project that won the third call for proposals promoted by’AArchive: How does it come about’IDear

«During my PhD research, I had the opportunity to visit the Order's General Archive to conduct research on religious life in Rome during the Roman Republic of 1849. It was then that I became aware of the archive for the church and convent of Santa Maria in Traspontina. Even from a preliminary review of just a few files, I realised immediately that it represented an extraordinary documentary heritage, extremely valuable not only for the study of the Order's history but also for research into the religious history of Rome. However, although the papers were organised, they lacked an index or finding aid that could describe the documentation and thus guide researchers through the nine linear metres and 182 archival units that make up this collection.

When in 2019 I decided to participate in the third edition of the research grant promoted by the Archive, and named in memory of Fr. Emanuele Boaga, I had recently graduated in archival science and had a desire to engage in an inventory project of a collection that would allow me to put into practice the theoretical notions of archival science that I had studied, first at university and then at the archival school of the State Archives of Rome. Before submitting the research project required by the call for applications, I therefore went to the General Archive to conduct an on-site inspection aimed at discovering how feasible an inventory project was and which collections held in the Order's Archive most needed to be described to make them more easily accessible to scholars. On this occasion, thanks above all to discussions with the welcoming staff of the Archive, I rediscovered the papers of the church and convent of Santa Maria in Traspontina and thus decided to dedicate my research project, as well as my first experience of describing an archival collection, to the latter.»

How is the volume structured?

«The volume presents the typical structure of an archival inventory, as mandated by the rules set out by the discipline, and is divided into two parts: a historical and discursive part, and another, more technical part, aimed at describing the collection.

The first part of the inventory consists of two introductions: a historical one on the subject that produced the archive, in this case the church and convent of Santa Maria in Traspontina, covering the period from the settlement of the Carmelites in the 15th century to the present day; the other introduction is of an archival nature, retracing the history of the archive and illustrating the criteria that guided the descriptive work I carried out.

The second part, however, consists of the description of the five series and two aggregate funds that make up the Traspontina archive, accompanied by brief introductory remarks for each series, and presents all the elements necessary to make research within the documentary complex easier and more fruitful. The volume is then completed by some appendices: the cross-reference table of old and new shelfmarks, the lists of priors, parish priests, and titular cardinals of Santa Maria in Traspontina, the bibliography and archival sources consulted, and, finally, the index of names and places.»

During the preparation of the inventory, what challenges did you face? Do you have any interesting anecdotes to share?

«The main issues encountered during the compilation of the inventory are attributable to the attempt to virtually reconstruct the fund's series, using fragments of the same archive held in other concentration institutions, such as the State Archives of Rome and the Historical Archives of the Vicariate. Furthermore, the structure assigned to the fund by previous reorganisation efforts (as well as the presence of two aggregated funds) did not always allow me to immediately recognise the consistency and nature of the series. These peculiarities required additional effort in my work, aimed at reconstructing the logical links that unite the documentation without disturbing the order assigned to the archive by previous reorganisations. Moreover, as I studied the papers, it became increasingly evident that under the title “Santa Maria in Traspontina” different institutions were aggregated (and sometimes overlapped) (the religious community and convent, the parish, the seat of the Prior General and the Roman Province), almost suggesting the existence in this archive of that particular phenomenon that Italian archival theory has defined as “archival viscosity”. However, apart from the technical and conceptual difficulties encountered during the compilation of the inventory, perhaps the biggest problem was the Covid pandemic, which, in the midst of the work, confined us all to our homes and interrupted the project for some time.»

For further information and to purchase the publication, please refer to the Edizioni Carmelitane website: www.edizionicarmelitane.org

Curiosities from the Archive

Carmelite chocolate

Among the documents of Santa Maria in Traspontina, recently inventoried by Jacopo De Santis, several attest that during the 18th century, at the same Roman convent, then the seat of the Carmelite general curia, chocolate tablets were produced. This is evidenced by correspondence preserved in our archive, in which friars from other convents and various personalities of the time requested that this delicacy be sent to them.

In particular, in a correspondence of seventeen letters dated 1758, the former prior general of the Carmelites, Luigi Laghi, from the Romagna Province, requested that an order of chocolate, of which he must have been rather fond, be delivered to him at the convent in Forlì. He humorously reported making habitual use of it, because, in his words, it helped him to combat shortness of breath… and other ailments: «I continue to suffer every morning from the usual tightness in my chest and difficulty breathing, but after having the chocolate, which causes me some flatulence, I feel free» (13 April 1758).

Padre Laghi had a large supply of this miraculous remedy, as can be read in another of his letters: «It is time for chocolate until you make our own [supply], because I still have enough for six months or more» (7th September 1758).

What would Luigi Laghi write today? What a shame they don't make Carmelite chocolate anymore!

To subscribe to the Newsletter, you can fill out the form at the following web address, where you can also read this month's issue online:
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ABiGOC is renewing itself! From this issue, the newsletter of’The General Archive and Library of the Carmelites presents itself with two major innovations. First of all, a new format that allows us to easily publish more news. Secondly,’monthly, and no longer weekly, release of the issues. This update was made possible through collaboration with’Carmelite Communications Office. Regarding content, we will not only continue to inform you about the life of’Archives and General Library, but we will try to inform you about the activities of other cultural organisations’Carmelite Orders scattered across the world. 

Let's hope, then, that ABiGOC proves to be even more user-friendly and interesting. Happy reading!

Can you read the Newsletter format at the following web address: https://www.ocarm.info/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/archive/prayer/20231026032644/

Carmelite Publications

Wednesday 25th October 2023, at 5:45 PM, at the Sant’Alberto International Centre (Rome), the volume was presented The demolished church of S. Nicola dei Cesarini in Rome, by Cristina Cumbo, realised through archival research.

On this occasion, we interviewed the Author: We know that you are involved in Christian archaeology and with this volume, you have sought to reconstruct the history of the church and convent of San Nicola dei Cesarini in Rome through the archaeological stratification of the area. What problems, if any, did you encounter during the study of this subject? We would particularly like you to tell us how you reconstructed the dispersed heritage of San Nicola.

«I can say that Christian archaeology certainly established itself as an important foundation from which to start, but it was not the only one in this research, as the modern church of San Nicola dei Cesarini is based on the medieval phase and on the even earlier, Roman, phase of the actual temples. However, sometimes it happens that the more recent periods are, paradoxically, the most complex to reconstruct. It so happened that the church and convent of San Nicola, at the time of their demolition between 1926 and 1927, considered to be in poor condition of preservation, were deemed of little importance for the preservation of their memory. While we possess two photographs and some watercolours of the church's exterior, we have nothing that visually documents the interior. The photographs solely relate to the demolition, so we have remains of walls, of the cladding of the convent's walls, and nothing more. We are, however, passed down a written description of the church's appearance and a list of artworks. Although fragmented among various Roman archives, I have managed to reassemble the complex puzzle of the church's history and its artefacts, some of which still exist and are preserved both in Rome and elsewhere in Italy, while others have disappeared or been stolen. It was difficult, for example, to understand the “composition” of the floor, which must have been rather “crowded” with tombs. The tombstones and ossuaries, which today appear covered in mould and lichen, are located at the Verano Cemetery and, thanks to my research, have finally been identified, but previously their memory had been almost entirely lost. Various site inspections and careful consultation of archival documents were necessary to identify them.

As well as the difficulties, there were also certainties, such as the paintings of St Nicholas and the Prophet Elijah which were transported to the church of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel attached to the International College of St Albert, where they are still preserved.

Research into the church of San Nicola dei Cesarini can be defined as a true historical-artistic, archival, and architectural investigation framed within an entirely archaeological context. Obviously, it was absolutely necessary to supplement the analysis of documents with on-site verification, and this allowed me to gain an overall perspective. It is difficult to explain in words, but in an archaeologist's mind, by drawing on what has been learned from sources and comparing material remains, even demolished structures regain their shape. Now, I simply have to observe the Sacred Area of Largo Argentina, recently opened to the public, and the church of San Nicola dei Cesarini is still there, with its convent, the dwelling of the Carmelites, the faithful entering the place of worship to say a prayer and light a candle.»

For further information and to purchase the publication, please refer to the Edizioni Carmelitane website: 

https://edizionicarmelitane.org/collections/novita/products/la-chiesa-demolita-di-san-nicola-dei-cesarini-a-roma.

ABiGOC's NEW WEBSITE

To make it easier for scholars to find information, we have unified the websites of the Carmelite Order's General Archive and Library, which until now were two separate channels of communication. We hope that in this way, we will make it easier to share the activities and collaborations active between the Archive and the Library.

You can visit the new website at the following address: www.archivioocarm.com.

You will find information and communications relating to both cultural institutions, in particular:

  • the presentation of documentary and library heritage
  • The regulations for scholar access and for the request of photo-reproductions
  • research fellowship calls
  • The description of activities, projects, and collaborations
  • the latest on publications
  • the archive of newsletters and user notifications.

RESEARCH GRANT BiGOC – FIRST EDITION (2023)

On 19 September 2023, the General Library of the Carmelites announced a selection process for the award of a research grant amounting to €5,000 and lasting for nine months (1 March – 30 November 2024), on the theme of Reconstruction of the Traspontina Library based on the ownership notes present in the manuscripts and ancient books of the Carmelite General Library.

The deadline for submitting applications is 15 January 2024.

The call for applications can be viewed and downloaded at the following web address:

https://archivioocarm.com/assegno-di-ricerca-bigoc-prima-edizione-2023/.

To subscribe to the Newsletter, you can fill out the form at the following web address, where you can also read this month's issue online:
https://www.ocarm.info/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/archive/prayer/20231026032644/

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Ahead of the launch, we interviewed the author: We know that you specialise in Christian archaeology, and in this book you have sought to reconstruct the history of the church and convent of San Nicola dei Cesarini in Rome through the archaeological stratigraphy of the area. What difficulties, if any, did you encounter whilst researching this topic? We would ask you to primarily explain how you reconstructed the lost heritage of San Nicola.

«I can say that Christian archaeology certainly established itself as an important foundation from which to start, but it was not the only one in this research, as the modern church of San Nicola dei Cesarini is based on the medieval phase and on the even earlier, Roman, phase of the actual temples. However, sometimes it happens that the more recent periods are, paradoxically, the most complex to reconstruct. It so happened that the church and convent of San Nicola, at the time of their demolition between 1926 and 1927, considered to be in poor condition of preservation, were deemed of little importance for the preservation of their memory. While we possess two photographs and some watercolours of the church's exterior, we have nothing that visually documents the interior. The photographs solely relate to the demolition, so we have remains of walls, of the cladding of the convent's walls, and nothing more. We are, however, passed down a written description of the church's appearance and a list of artworks. Although fragmented among various Roman archives, I have managed to reassemble the complex puzzle of the church's history and its artefacts, some of which still exist and are preserved both in Rome and elsewhere in Italy, while others have disappeared or been stolen. It was difficult, for example, to understand the “composition” of the floor, which must have been rather “crowded” with tombs. The tombstones and ossuaries, which today appear covered in mould and lichen, are located at the Verano Cemetery and, thanks to my research, have finally been identified, but previously their memory had been almost entirely lost. Various site inspections and careful consultation of archival documents were necessary to identify them.

As well as the difficulties, there were also certainties, such as the paintings of St Nicholas and the Prophet Elijah which were transported to the church of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel attached to the International College of St Albert, where they are still preserved.

Research into the church of San Nicola dei Cesarini can be defined as a true historical-artistic, archival, and architectural investigation framed within an entirely archaeological context. Obviously, it was absolutely necessary to supplement the analysis of documents with on-site verification, and this allowed me to gain an overall perspective. It is difficult to explain in words, but in an archaeologist's mind, by drawing on what has been learned from sources and comparing material remains, even demolished structures regain their shape. Now, I simply have to observe the Sacred Area of Largo Argentina, recently opened to the public, and the church of San Nicola dei Cesarini is still there, with its convent, the dwelling of the Carmelites, the faithful entering the place of worship to say a prayer and light a candle.»

on

Today we are pleased to present Marco Papasidero's book: Miracles and Benefits. Illness, Thaumaturgy, and Devotion in Licata and Sicily in the Early Modern Period, published by Edizioni Carmelitane in 2021. To find out more about this work, we asked the author three questions.

We know you are involved in the History of Christianity and that your research particularly concerns hagiography, the cult of saints, and relics. In this current volume, you have also delved into these themes: would you like to briefly tell us what it is about?

The volume contains the critical edition of the trial in the provinces, which took place at the diocesan headquarters between 1625 and 1627, to collect the testimonies of the miracles and graces attributed by the inhabitants of Licata to the intercession of Saint Angelo Carmelitan, a martyr who died in 1220 according to hagiographical tradition. Before the critical text, the volume includes a detailed analysis, which focuses primarily on cultural and social aspects: from miracles to healing practices, through the water from the spring that emerged at the site of his martyrdom, passing by relics and processions.

How was the text edition conducted and on what manuscript witnesses? 

The critical edition was based on two witnesses, copies of originals no longer traceable. The first copy, used as the base text, is kept at the General Archive of the Carmelites and was produced by the very notary who drew up the originals, Iacopo Murci; the second is instead kept at the University Library of Cagliari. The edition was conducted adopting a conservative criterion with respect to the first copy, taking into account the substantial variants, which are quite few in number in the second copy. The text contains some parts in Latin and the depositions in Italian and Sicilian, which almost render the viva voce of the witnesses.

Reading the trial records concerning the miracles of Saint Angelo, what were the curiosities or unusual aspects that struck you the most?

As stated, the documents from this investigation are very rich in information. Among the most interesting aspects are the social, historical-medical, and historical-cultural ones. The text describes, for example, the procession with relics that was held for the May festival, but also the devotion of the people of Licata in carrying stones for the expansion of the church, following the plague of 1625, the cessation of which had been attributed to the saint's intercession. A particular detail that we could call curious is that of a local man, one Antonino Morinello, whose nickname is also reported, “Peduzzo,” attributed to him because he «walked with a limp and was born with such a defect.» Beyond the episode of healing, which is interesting in itself, what strikes one is the portrayal of a social reality in which nicknames retained – and in part still retain – all their expressive and descriptive power. Another curiosity is the account of an attempted femicide, described by several witnesses and by the woman herself, Antoninella Caruso, who, while on her way to church to venerate the urn with relics, displayed for the May festival, was attacked by a man who tried to kill her, having mistaken her, the witnesses say, for his wife.

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Edizioni Carmelitane has recently published Ruggiero Doronzo’s book: Female Carmelite iconography in engravings from the General Archive of the Carmelite Order in Rome from the 17th and 18th centuries. To find out more about this work, we asked the author three questions.

We know that you are involved in Puglian art history, and that you held a course on the subject at the University of Bari and published various essays and monographs on Painting and sculpture in southern Italy during the modern era. How did the idea for this volume on Carmelite iconography come about?

This book is the result of research commissioned by the General Archive of the Carmelites, titled: Engravers and painters for the Virgin of Carmel, saints and venerable figures of the Carmelite Order. The case of Sister Isabella Piccini, Sebastiano Conca and other artists active between the second half of the 17th century and the early 18th century. Although the study was initially intended to focus on engravings by a few artistic personalities, as research progressed, new discoveries continued to be made, some seemingly insignificant, others extraordinarily important, thus providing the opportunity to broaden the iconographic and iconological analysis to all engravings depicting female subjects of the Order of Carmel. 

The book we have here is a proper catalogue. How did you decide to structure it?

Per agevolare la consultazione del lavoro, il criterio adoperato nell’impostazione del volume tiene conto del soggetto e della cronologia della stampa. Si tratta di stampe di traduzione o according tos, made from a model, which was almost always a painting, and ‘reproduction’ prints derived solely from drawings. When signatures were added at the bottom of the print, that of the inventor was placed on the left, according to a hierarchical order and in a better position, while the engraver's signature was on the right. The terms painted, invented e drew thus indicating the original author and the intellectual and creative responsible for the subject depicted, while result e Sculpsit si riferiscono all’incisore. Di ogni incisione, infatti, vengono indicati il nome del disegnatore o del pittore, quello del bulinista, il soggetto, la tecnica, le misure, eventuali iscrizioni, il numero attuale di inventario e la bibliografia di riferimento, se è già edita. Segue l’esame iconografico e iconologico dell’immagine e si è creduto opportuno stilare anche un profilo biografico del disegnatore e del bulinista, il loro ambito di riferimento, nonché offrire alcune indicazioni sul committente là dove sia segnalato.

The subjects represented are Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the great saints Teresa of Avila and Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, and twenty-three beati and venerabili. Which authors and engravings struck you the most?

Based on philological analysis, it appears that the prints were produced by engravers active in Italy, Flanders, Spain, Bavaria, and Poland, as well as some signed by artists absent from major collections or others that are anonymous. These latter ones pose interesting questions regarding both their identification and their placement in the history of engraving. I was most struck by those for which I was able to find the source material, as was the case, for example, with an engraving by Leonardo Germo depicting the Virgin of Carmel appearing to Antonio Chiavassa, or that by Gaetano Bianchi which reproduces a painting of the Virgin conserved in the sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie at Colletto near Pinerolo. Finally, I find the engravings by Abraham van Diepenbeeck, a Flemish artist capable of conveying theological and Marian messages through images drawn with meticulous graphic skill, to be of great beauty.