S. Chiara
Community ID: 
 
2645
 
Alternate Names: 
 
S. Croce e S. Caterina de Boctacio (before 1492)
 
Town: 
 
Montefalco
 
Diocese: 
 
Spoleto
 
Medieval Location: 
 
13 miles from Spoleto on a hill known as S. Caterina de Boltaccio
 
Corporate Status: 
 
Abbey
 
Dedication: 
 
Clare of Montefalco (after 1492)
 
Date Founded: 
 
1290
 
Religious Order: 
 
Augustinian
 
Rule: 
 
Augustinian -- after 1478, the community debated whether to change rules. In 1492, 14 nuns left to join S. Leonardo where they could observe the Franciscan rule. The remaining 3 nuns maintained an Augustinian community under the new name of S. Chiara.
 
Foundation Information: 
 

Bishop Gerardo of Spoleto gave permission to Giovanna di Damiano, sister of S. Clare of Montefalco, to found a monastery. Elswhere it is stated that Cardinals Napoleone Orsini and Pietro and Giacomo Colonna were also instrumental in the community's foundation.

 
Notable Heads: 
 

In 1292, Giovanna (see "Foundation Information") died, and NULL became abbess until her death on August 17, 1308. She extracted a promise from fra Niccolo da Prato, Bishop of Toledo, the he not build churches and monasteries 25 "pertiche" from the community. However, a letter of his to the rector of S. Maria di Turri (Montefalco), dated June 4, 1303, states his intention to build a basilica at Clare's request. Later abbesses include Caterina (1460), who was nominated from the monastery of S. Maria, Agnese Languzio della Stella of Spoleto (1465), Ponziana di Stefano (1470), Innocentia (1473), and Chiara (1475).

 
Population Counts: 
 

9 in 1411; 5 in 1460; 3 in 1492 (see "Rule," above)

 
Dependency Of: 
 

Bishp Bernardo Eruli made the community a dependency of S. Maria della stella (Spoleto) in 1460, but it regained independence in 1478.

 
Early Documents: 
 

1290, June 29: the Bishop of Spoleto concedes the Augustinian rule to the commuity.

 
Art & Artifacts: 
 

The community produced two S. Clare (of Montefalco): one, painted in 1565, hangs in the church of S. Angelo de Gilibertis; the other, finished in the late sixteenth century, is a fresco in the Augustinian church of S. Nicolo.

 
Manuscript Sources: 
 

De vita candidissima virginia Beata Clara de ordine beati Augustini

 
Published Primary Sources: 
 

Ricordanze del Monastero di S. Lucia osc. in Foligno (cronache 1424-1786), p. 276, n. 728, and p. 280, n. 733;
Vite de santi e beati dell'Umbria, vol. I, p. 433 and vol. III, p. 79;
Chiara da Montefalco badessa del monastero Santa Croce. Le sue testemonianze e i suoi dicti, p. 21;
I processo per la canonizatione di Santa Chiara da Montefalco, vicende e documenti, pp. 133-135;
Vita della B. Chiara detta della Croce de Montefalco dell'ordine di S. Agostino, pp. 284-285

 
Secondary Sources: 
 

Répertoire topo-bibliographique des abbayes et prieurés, p. 1940;
Abbatiarum Italiae brevis notitia, vol. I, p. 230;
Le origini del Comune di Montefalco, p. 72;
NULL, p. 383;
S. Chiara da Montefalco e la città di Spoleto;
S. Maria del Paradiso a Spello;
Le monache Agostiniane Italiane nell'ottocento, pp. 397-8;
Madre Mariana Michelina Dolfi

 
Contributors: 
 
Suzanne Wemple-Kinder
 
Date Started: 
 
1290
 
Length: 
 
1903