Jordan of Pisa
Encyclopedia
Blessed
Jordan of Pisa (or Giordano da Pisa) (c.
1255 – 19 August 1311) was a Dominican
theologian and preacher, the first whose vernacular Italian
sermons are preserved. His cultus was confirmed on 23 August 1833 by Pope Gregory XVI
and he was beatified in 1838; his day is either March 6 or August 19. His relics are in the church of Santa Catalina in Pisa.
Jordan was born in the mid twelfth century at Pisa
. He was educated at the University of Bologna
and then Paris
in the late 1270s, where he received his bachelor's of theology. He went on to join the Dominican house there in 1280. At Pisa he founded the Confraternity of the Holy Redeemer, whose constitution survives, and several others, whose do not. He preached and taught variously at Siena
, Viterbo
, and Perugia
before eventually moving to Florence
, in which area he was a widely respected preacher, eventually being appointed by the provincial chapter at Rieti
as a lector
in the church of Santa Maria Novella in 1305. He held that post for the next three years, and contributed greatly to its esteem. In 1311 the Master General Aymericus Giliani appointed him professor of theology at the friary of Saint James in Paris, to deliver his reading of the Lombard's
Sentences
and obtain his master's degree, but he died at Piacenza
on the journey.
Jordan studied the use of preaching for evangelisation. He pioneered the use of the Tuscan language for preaching and lecturing, which helped establish it as the foremost among the vernaculars of Italy. His Tuscan was reputedly versatile and musical, but never elaborate or ornate. At Florence he would reportedly preached five times a day, walking about, both indoors and out, followed by a crowd of listeners as he developed his topic. During his lengthy sermons his friend and disciple, Silvester of Valdiseve
, sometimes sat near the pulpit with wine to refrech him. Some of his listeners took notes that have survived. His preaching was said to have a positive effect on Florentine public life and morality by its emphasis on sound (i.e. Thomistic) doctrine, Christian living, and perseverance. What he had to say would have sounded dry in Latin
, but significantly, no Latin sermons by Jordan have survived.
Jordan was renowned for his knowledge, especially of the breviary
, missal
, the Bible
, and its marginal notes, and the second half of the Summa Theologiae
, all of which he had memorised, according to the chronicle of the Dominican convent of Pisa.
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
Jordan of Pisa (or Giordano da Pisa) (c.
C.
c. may refer to:* Circa: in genealogy and historical writing, c. means circa, and is used when the dates of events are approximately known...
1255 – 19 August 1311) was a Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
theologian and preacher, the first whose vernacular Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
sermons are preserved. His cultus was confirmed on 23 August 1833 by Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI , born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, named Mauro as a member of the religious order of the Camaldolese, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846...
and he was beatified in 1838; his day is either March 6 or August 19. His relics are in the church of Santa Catalina in Pisa.
Jordan was born in the mid twelfth century at Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
. He was educated at the University of Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
and then Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
in the late 1270s, where he received his bachelor's of theology. He went on to join the Dominican house there in 1280. At Pisa he founded the Confraternity of the Holy Redeemer, whose constitution survives, and several others, whose do not. He preached and taught variously at Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
, Viterbo
Viterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
, and Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
before eventually moving to Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, in which area he was a widely respected preacher, eventually being appointed by the provincial chapter at Rieti
Rieti
Rieti is a city and comune in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of c. 47,700. It is the capital of province of Rieti.The town centre rests on a small hilltop, commanding a wide plain at the southern edge of an ancient lake. The area is now the fertile basin of the Velino River...
as a lector
Lector
Lector is a Latin term for one who reads, whether aloud or not. In modern languages the word has come to take various forms, as either a development or a loan, such as , , and . It has various specialized uses:...
in the church of Santa Maria Novella in 1305. He held that post for the next three years, and contributed greatly to its esteem. In 1311 the Master General Aymericus Giliani appointed him professor of theology at the friary of Saint James in Paris, to deliver his reading of the Lombard's
Peter Lombard
Peter Lombard was a scholastic theologian and bishop and author of Four Books of Sentences, which became the standard textbook of theology, for which he is also known as Magister Sententiarum-Biography:Peter Lombard was born in Lumellogno , in...
Sentences
Sentences
The Four Books of Sentences is a book of theology written by Peter Lombard in the twelfth century. It is a systematic compilation of theology, written around 1150; it derives its name from the sententiae or authoritative statements on biblical passages that it gathered together.-Origin and...
and obtain his master's degree, but he died at Piacenza
Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
on the journey.
Jordan studied the use of preaching for evangelisation. He pioneered the use of the Tuscan language for preaching and lecturing, which helped establish it as the foremost among the vernaculars of Italy. His Tuscan was reputedly versatile and musical, but never elaborate or ornate. At Florence he would reportedly preached five times a day, walking about, both indoors and out, followed by a crowd of listeners as he developed his topic. During his lengthy sermons his friend and disciple, Silvester of Valdiseve
Silvester of Valdiseve
Silvester of Valdiseve was a medieval monk who is not yet recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, but rather a Blessed. Silvester was christened Ventura and lived in Florence. He was involved in the processing of wool until the age of 40 when he became a monk...
, sometimes sat near the pulpit with wine to refrech him. Some of his listeners took notes that have survived. His preaching was said to have a positive effect on Florentine public life and morality by its emphasis on sound (i.e. Thomistic) doctrine, Christian living, and perseverance. What he had to say would have sounded dry in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, but significantly, no Latin sermons by Jordan have survived.
Jordan was renowned for his knowledge, especially of the breviary
Breviary
A breviary is a liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bishops, priests, and deacons in the Divine Office...
, missal
Missal
A missal is a liturgical book containing all instructions and texts necessary for the celebration of Mass throughout the year.-History:Before the compilation of such books, several books were used when celebrating Mass...
, the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, and its marginal notes, and the second half of the Summa Theologiae
Summa Theologica
The Summa Theologiæ is the best-known work of Thomas Aquinas , and although unfinished, "one of the classics of the history of philosophy and one of the most influential works of Western literature." It is intended as a manual for beginners in theology and a compendium of all of the main...
, all of which he had memorised, according to the chronicle of the Dominican convent of Pisa.