Marco Bartoli - Saint Clare: Beyond the Legend

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR SAINT CLARE: BEYOND THE LEGEND

Marco Bartolis book is not a biography but a dialogue between silence and memory, between what has been said and what has not been said about Clare of Assisi, between evidence and interpretation. Entering into dialogue with the most important source for knowing Clare, The Legend of Saint Clare the Virgin, Bartoli offers an insightful, critical study of the woman who was called the strongest stone of the whole foundation. Those who are familiar with Clarian studies will find this work a welcome contribution to the ongoing reconstruction of the woman of Assisi. For the unfamiliar reader, Bartoli provides a fascinating and lucid account of one of the most remarkable women of the Middle Ages. Ilia Delio, O.S.F., author, Franciscan Prayer and Clare of Assisi: A Heart Full of Love

By drawing on a variety of sourceshistorical, biographical, spiritual, FranciscanMarco Bartoli challenges us to seriously review our preconceived ideas of Clare. She may indeed have been the little plant of Francis of Assisi, but this book eloquently demonstrates that Clare grew into her own tree: strong, enduring, deeply, and firmly rooted in her own understanding and living of the gospel. Clare comes through not just as Saint Clare but as Clare the person, and what an inspiring, challenging, and attractive person she is. Brother Samus Mulholland, O.F.M., Franciscan International Study Centre

The research and the publications of the past decades have definitively demonstrated that Clare was not Francis silent shadow, nor was she a nun buried in the enclosure of a monastery. Continuing to cast light on the real Clare through this book, Marco Bartoli describes her as she was known and acknowledged in her time: as a woman of great reputation, courtesy, and beauty. He also restores the true relationship of Clare and Francis, the poor sister and the lesser brother, so close to one another in their evangelical life and yet so different in their personalities. With Marco Bartolis book, the true Clare emerges. Jean Franois Godet-Calogeras, The Franciscan Institute, St. Bonaventure University

Marco Bartolis Clare of Assisi: Beyond the Legend leaves no stone unturned in his search for the truth about Clare that lies beneath the legend. He works like an archeologist sifting through shards of literary evidence to unearth an accurate portrait of Clare of Assisi that reaches beyond her legend. His tools are a mind schooled in the historical method and his extensive knowledge of medieval literature, society, and culture. Mix this with his expertise and reputation as a Franciscan historian, and what results is a fresh and fascinating picture of Clare in the midst of the key players in her life. Bartolis latest book on Clare may well come to be recognized in our time as the definitive biography of Clare. It is undisputedly the most comprehensive treatment to date of the primary sources underlying the popular understanding of Clares story. Ingrid Peterson, O.S.F., author, Clare of Assisi: A Biographical Study

Clare: Beyond the Legend opens with a tantalizing question: Did Clare of Assisi ever exist? This perplexing question arises from that fact that Clare Offreduccio is never mentioned in Francis writings nor does Thomas of Celano refer to her in the Second Life. Clare might have remained a silent unknown woman of the Middle Ages had the 800th anniversary of her birth not spurred research into the mystery of her existence. Bartoli gleans vital information from multiple conferences held during the 800th anniversary celebrations to create a new spiritual-historical portrait of the noblewoman of Assisi who chose a life of poverty. From the silence of her monastery life, Clare became the custodian of Franciscan memory. Bartoli brings Clare from silence to modern memory with interest and integrity. Patricia Normile, S.F.O., author, John Dear on Peace: An Introduction to His Life and Work