Lives of Saints, Men and Women. Franciscans in Pesaro (XIII-XV centuries)

By drawing on the most recent archival and historiographical investigations, this volume examines the development of Franciscanism in Pesaro and the life of its local saints during the period between the thirteenth and the fifteenth centuries. Investigating the religious context of Pesaro in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries implies considering the relations between the mendicant religious orders and the seigniorial power. In this perspective, the Malatestis and the Sforzas strongly endorsed Franciscanism, supported and promoted its foundations, the administration of its convents and the cult of women and men saints within Pesaro’s spirituality.