Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 1
The Other Voice 1
Historical Contexts 3
The Role of Convents in Women’s Experiences in Renaissance Florence
3
Political Alliances and Patronage Ties 12
Religious Reform 16
The Author: Sister Giustina Niccolini 20
The Chronicle 22
Characteristic Features 22
Chronological Framework 24
Renaissance Art in the Chronicle 30
Afterlife of the Chronicle 33
Note on the Text and Translation 38
List of Abbreviations 39
The Chronicle of Santissima Annunziata delle Murate 41
[Introductory Letter] 42
[Preface] 44
[Early Years on the Rubaconte Bridge, 1390–1424] 48
[Early Years on Via Ghibellina, 1424–1439] 56
[The Abbacy of Sister Scolastica Rondinelli, 1439–1475] 73
[A Period of Instability, 1475–1530] 123
[New Patterns of Patronage, 1530–1567] 186
[The Council of Trent’s Decrees and Beyond, 1567–1598] 213
Bibliography 337
Index 345
Saundra Weddle is Associate Professor of Architecture and
Art History at Drury University. She has authored several articles
relating to the form and function of convent architecture in
Renaissance Italy.
"Sister Giustina Niccolini's Chronicle of Le
Murate captures both the gritty realities and the soaring
spirituality of convent life in Renaissance Florence. Niccolini
offers an inside look at how her community grew from a small female
hermitage circa 1400 into the largest, most prominent Florentine
convent by 1600. As she traces this spectacular rise, Niccolini
illuminates the tenor of everyday life and the complexity of
interpersonal relationships within a hothouse atmosphere. This
unique chronicle also bristles with insight into such important
issues as collective governance, patterns of patronage, the
creation of a rich visual culture, and the decisive impact of
Tridentine reform. Weddle's translation successfully catches the
immediacy of the author's voice as well as its stately
cadences."
*Sharon Strocchia, Emory University*
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