Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Throughout the colonial period of Mexican history, cloistered nuns wrote spiritual journals at the request of their confessors. These documents were read and scrutinized, not only by the confessors, but also by others in the hierarchy of their Orders. They are important sources of study for historians in that they provide a window into the religious culture of the times and the spiritual mentality of their authors. This thesis will examine one such record, discovered in a collection of volumes at the Historical Franciscan Archive of Michoacán in Celaya, Mexico. The diary covers eleven months of 1751 in the life of a Franciscan nun -- believed to be María de Jesús Felipa who kept such records over a period of more than twenty years. María de Jesús Felipa was a visionary who experienced occasional ecstatic states. Through her contacts with the spiritual world, she pursued her own salvation and that of those most specifically in her charge: members of her own community -- the convent of San Juan de la Penitencia in Mexico City -- and the souls in purgatory. These encounters propelled her into different frames of time and space -- moving her into the past and the future, and transporting her to bucolic and horrific locations. Her diary ascribes meaning to these encounters by tying them to her life and her relationships within the convent. Her diary of 1751 also indicates that this spiritual activity and the records she kept brought her to the attention of the Inquisition. The thesis argues that, because of its cohesiveness of thought and consistency of focus, the diary effectively casts its record keeper as author of her own life story. A close reading reveals the inner thoughts and perceptions of a distinct personality. Her first-person account also reflects the character of Christianity, the impact of post-Tridentine reforms and difficulties in the governance of convents in eighteenth-century New Spain. Although always arduous and often unpleasant, writing provided Sor Maria with an opportunity to establish her integrity, exercise control, and justify her thoughts and actions as she pursued her vocation. Writing under the supervision of a confessor, María de Jesús Felipa was her own person. In its organization and focus, her diary resolutely records a struggle for self-determination within the limits imposed by the monastic vows of obedience, chastity, poverty and enclosure.

The musical culture of the female monastic institution called La Concezione, or il monastero nuovo, reflected the political, social and devotional objectives of the Medici court. In 1562, at the close of the Council of Trent, the convent was founded through the last testament of Grand Duchess Eleonora de Toledo de'Medici with the support of Grand Duke Cosimo I's personal knighthood-- the Cavalieri di Santo Stefano. Glorified as a "reformed" institution reflecting the piety of Florence and the rectitude of the Medici family, the public image of the convent required strict adherence to Catholic Reformation ideals of female virtue. Musically, the women of the convent restricted their public performance to monophonic chant. The only universally approved music for monastics, chant was thought to be the most appropriate form of public musical devotion for the virginal daughters of the court. In private, the patrician women perhaps enjoyed the popular polyphonic music that the vast resources of their families, the Florentine court, and their superiors, afforded them. The public image of perfection was of the utmost importance to the Medici; polyphonic performance was only allowed in the most private spaces of the cloister--away from the public eyes and ears. A counter-example to recent scholarship, this view of female monastic music is in contrast to studies that have highlighted examples of wealthy convents that actively sought opportunities for polyphonic performance as part of their public character. This dissertation relies on various extant archival documents of the convent, the Order of Santo Stefano and the Medici family in an examination of the role that music played in both the public and private spheres of the most elite convent of early modern Florence. / text

Agents essentiels de la spiritualité de la fin de l’époque médiévale, les Ordres mendiants étaient intimement liés à leurs couvents. Ces bâtiments, en effet, répondaient aux activités cultuelles, communautaires et intellectuelles propres aux religieux tout comme aux nécessités de l’encadrement des fidèles. Implantés de manière réfléchie, les frères surent s’intégrer et s’adapter de manière dynamique à la vie de la cité qu’envisage la présente enquête. À partir d’une réflexion menée sur les œuvres peintes et sculptées dans les édifices conventuels siennois, cette étude aborde donc les différentes finalités de cette production artistique ainsi que son impact dans le milieu urbain en question. Pour ce faire, trois parties se succèdent : la première s’attache à dresser un inventaire le plus exhaustif possible des œuvres qui se déployaient dans les complexes du XIIIème siècle au milieu du XVIème siècle. La seconde revient sur les enjeux et les conséquences de cet essor artistique dans le cadre même des couvents, mais aussi dans l’ensemble de la ville. Enfin, la troisième étend le propos à quelques grands décors d’Italie centrale et met tout particulièrement en relief l’originalité de cette production mendiante aux derniers siècles du Moyen Âge. / Essential agents of spirituality at the end of medieval times, the Mendicant Orders were closely linked with their convents. These buildings, in fact, were created with regard to the cultal needs, and intellectual activities of the brothers themselves, as well as with regard to the gathering of the faithful. So, established in a very structured way, the brothers made sure to integrate and adapt themselves in a dynamic manner to the life of the city with wich the present investigation is dealing. Starting from a reflection directed towards the painted and sculpted works in Sienese convent buildings, this study tackles the different purposes of this artistic production, along with its impact on the urban setting in question. In order to accomplish this, three points are successively focused on: the first aims to provide the most exhaustive inventory possible of the works that blossomed from the 13th Century until the middle of the 16th Century. The second deals with the intentions and consequences of this artistic development in the city. Finally, the third extends the topic to some other great contexts of Central Italy and particularly focuses on the originality of this Mendicant production in the last centuries of the Middle Ages.

« Les Livres des Couvents » (kutub al-Diyārāt) qui font l’objet de cette thèse sont des anthologies thématiques de l’époque médiévale. Elles décrivent des séjours effectués par des musulmans dans des couvents chrétiens pour se divertir. De cette catégorie, représentée par une demi- douzaine de titres, un seul livre nous est parvenu, celui d’al-šābuštī intitulé al-Diyārāt. Les autres ouvrages subsistent sous forme de passages dans des livres de seconde main. Cette thèse tente de combler d’abord les lacunes de cette documentation en restituant les passages appartenant à ces ouvrages perdus. Ce travail de restitution est mis en parallèle avec un examen portant sur la notion du genre. L’auteur met en lumière dans une perspective chronologique l’évolution de cette écriture qui s’est fait jour d’Ibn al-Kalbī (m. 821) à šābuštī (m.998) en passant par al-ḫālidiyyān, al-Iṣbahānī, al-Sarī al-Raffā’, al-šāmšāṭī et Ibn Ramḍān al-Naḥwī. Cette évolution est abordée à l’image de l’histoire de la science évoquée dans ce travail à travers le concept de paradigme. L’objectif est de montrer qu’il s’agit d’un genre littéraire particulier qui a connu, chez ces auteurs, une genèse, une ascension, et une apogée avant de se heurter à de nouvelles anomalies provoquant sa décomposition paradigmatique. / « The Monasteries Books » (kutub al-Diyārāt) are the object of this thesis; they are thematic anthologies of medieval time. They describe the stays of Muslims in Christian monasteries in pursuit of entertainment.Of those anthologies, originally composing half a dozen titles, only one book has reached us: the book untitled al-Diyārāt by al-šābuštī. The other works have only reached us through extracts found in secondhand books. This thesis attempts to fill in the gaps in this documentation by restoring the extracts from the lost works.This work of restoration is paralleled with an examination of the “genre” notion. The author, through a chronological perspective, sheds a light on the evolution of the writing that has come about from authors such as Ibn al-Kalbī (m. 821) or al-šābuštī (m.998), but also al-ḫālidiyyān, al-Iṣbahānī, al-Sarī al-Raffā’, al-šāmšāṭī and Ibn Ramḍān al-Naḥwī. This evolution is studied with the same approach as the history of science, mentioned in this study through the concept of paradigm. The attempt is to show that this particular literary “genre” has known, through those authors, a genesis, a rise and a peak before conflicting with new anomalies causing its paradigmatic decomposition.

The early modern period of a time of religious renewal and upheaval that resulted in a wealth of new religious orders, particularly those for women. During this period of change, Catholic women responded to the threat of Protestantism by adapting the convent to their own needs. One of the most successful orders for women was the Congregation of the Visitation, founded by Jeanne de Chantal and François de Sales. The history of the Visitation tends to focus on de Sales rather than its cofounder de Chantal. This thesis attempts to reconcile this omission, detailing de Chantal's ability to demonstrate and enact her authority through the mode of letters. In doing so, this paper enters into a conversation on religious revival in the early modern period by illustrating the porous nature of the early modern convent and the role women had in shaping early modern religiosity. / History

Entre la fin du Moyen Âge et la Révolution, l’histoire de l’abbaye de Saintes, deuxième communauté féminine de France par ses revenus, grand seigneur de sa province, s’avère incontournable tant pour la connaissance des communautés religieuses que celle de la Saintonge. Avoir recours aux actes notariaux et à toutes les sources externes disponibles permet de pallier la destruction des archives du monastère à la Révolution pour en établir une histoire globale.Le pouvoir royal ne parvient à y imposer la nomination des abbesses qu’en 1544, laissant se mettre en place une longue dynastie de supérieures de lignages du Sud-ouest. Après l’échec, en 1511 et 1530, de deux réformes de la communauté imposées par les autorités civiles, suite à une longue préparation dès le XVIe siècle, Françoise II de Foix, réussit durablement à mettre fin à des abus remontant au Moyen Âge. Rapportés par un journal janséniste, les épisodes mystiques extrêmes vécus par les moniales (1777-1787) défraient la chronique. Révélant l’isolement spirituel d’une communauté contemplative à l’époque des Lumières, ils sont riches de sens pour la connaissance de l’existence de pratiques surannées et de l’évolution des mentalités. C’est l’occasion pour l’évêque et la noblesse locale d’un projet de remplacement de l’abbaye par un chapitre de chanoinesses. Si des filles de parlementaires puis de négociants entrèrent à l’abbaye respectivement aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles, la vieille noblesse du Centre-ouest domina constamment l’effectif. La prise d’habit doit être située dans le cadre de stratégies familiales et servait à marquer une ascension sociale lignagère. Toute-puissance des abbesses, moniales vivant dans un relatif confort, la lecture tenant une grande place. Faisant preuve de ferveur, l’abbaye reçoit les courants spirituels successifs. A la Renaissance, elle protège des humanistes. Au XVIIe siècle, elle adhère de manière passionnée au jansénisme puis suit la voie du rigorisme avant de choisir une direction jésuite. Le monastère conserve son patrimoine à l’issue de nombreux procès. Il mène une politique de charité limitée eu égard à ses revenus mais s’avérant efficace. S’appuyant sur des receveurs ou des fermiers bien renseignées et ambitieux, il met en valeur efficacement ses biens, développant les brûleries à Oléron et faisant précocement assécher des marais en Poitou au prix de conflits. Les fermiers, souvent des proches des abbesses, connaissent une ascension qui les amènera à occuper les principales fonctions politiques après la Révolution, établissant ainsi une continuité inattendue entre Ancien et Nouveau Régime. / Between the late Middle Ages and the French Revolution, the story of the Saintes Abbey is worth being known to help having a better knowledge about religious communities and of Saintonge itself. It was the second feminine community in France because of its incomes, and the second richest lord in its province. While archives of the monastery were destroyed, resorting to notary acts and all external and available sources, and this contributed to establish its global history.The Royal Power had been unable to impose the nomination of the abbesses until 1544 and then they left power to dynasties of abbesses. After the partial failures of two reforms imposed by civilian authorities in 1511 and 1530, Françoise II de Foix, highly succeeded in bringing an end to the abuses dating from the Middle Ages, after a long preparation begun in the 16th century. The extreme mystical episodes of the inhabitants of the monastery were in the news in "Nouvelles ecclésiastiques" a Jansenist paper (1777-1787). It revealed the isolated spirituality in this contemplative community during the Enlightenment: and this helped understand the existence of out-dated practices and the evolution of mentalities. The Bishop and the local noble class grasp the opportunity to replace the Abbey by a chapter of canonesses.The recruitment system changed with the passing of time. In the 17th Century, a great number of Bordeaux Members of Parliament's daughters became part of this community but those from the old west-centre region aristocracy always remained higher in number. Reading played an important part among these powerful abbesses and their dynasties, living in a relative comfort. The abbey underwent many different spiritual trends because of its religious fervour: In the Renaissance period, this abbey would protect Humanists. In the 17th century, the abbesses totally supported the Jansenist movement. They followed the rigid moral standards before choosing the Jesuit trend. The monastery kept its riches after many proceedings. It lead a sort of limited charity policy considering its income, but this seemed very useful. With the help of well-informed and ambitious farmers it cleverly exploited its wealth, developing the distilleries in Oleron, and made dried up the marshes in the Poitou region, at the price of many conflicts. Some farmers, particularly those who were closely related to the abbesses, rose up to high political functions after the Revolution.

Music Culture of the Elisabethan Convent in Prague Jakub Michl Abstract The Sisters of Saint Elizabeth (Elizabethan Nuns) were a spiritual order primarily focused on administering healthcare. Therefore, music was never the main focus of the order's activities, as it often was in others, particularly educational orders. However, thanks to the uninterrupted historical continuity of the Prague convent, which was exempted from the restrictions of Joseph II's era, many sources illustrating the convent music culture were preserved, including an extensive collection of music. The dissertation aims to describe this music culture in the context of the order structure and its personal hierarchy, as part of the city of Prague and its civic institutions, and in its everyday life and characteristics such as enclosure, hospital service and recreational activities. Music in convents was always tightly bound to liturgy. In the case of the Elizabethan order, significant music production was focused on the order's main liturgical feasts such as S. Elizabeth, S. Francis of Assisi, Porciuncula, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter and also memorial services for deceased patrons of the convent. The convent cooperated with many lay musicians and composers such as F. X. Brixi, Z. V. Suchý, F. X. Labler, J. N. Bayer, among others. At the...