Salimbene di Adam
Encyclopedia
Salimbene di Adam (9 October 1221 – c. 1290) was an Italian Franciscan
friar and chronicler who is a source for Italian
history of the 13th century.
, the son of Guido di Adam, a crusader. Salimbene was a follower of Joachim de Fiore, and a fan of his apocalyptic teachings. Salimbene joined the Franciscan order in 1238 at the monastery
of Fano
. He led a life of wandering, avoiding his father who did not wish him to join the order, and visited Pisa and other Italian towns; then in 1247 he was sent to Lyon
, and visited Paris
, Ferrara
Cremona
, Troyes
, Florence
, Ravenna
, Genoa
, Reggio
and the monastery of Montefalcone
(near San Polo d'Enza
). The last was the probable site of his death.
. His extensive travels meant that he met many important people of the time including Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
, Louis IX of France
and Pope Innocent IV
. He also describes everyday life vividly and gives unrivalled detail into internal disputes in the Franciscan order at the time.
He also wrote The Twelve Calamities of Emperor Frederick II and several treatises now lost. "The Twelve Calamities" is set up as a kind of servant's narrative (Exempla, examples), made to demonstrate the faults of Frederick II - often with loosely-fitted biblical quotations. One of the major themes of the work is Salimbene's emphasis on numerology
. The chronicle itself is set up to demonstrate the parallel between the ten plagues and the ten calamities of Frederick II (conveniently he tacked on the last two after the parallel). Emphasizing the Christian nature of his narrative and the non-Christian nature of Frederick, Salimbene turns a phrase used during the crusades claiming that he'd "have been the best ruler, if only he were Christian."
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
friar and chronicler who is a source for Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
history of the 13th century.
Life
He was born in ParmaParma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, the son of Guido di Adam, a crusader. Salimbene was a follower of Joachim de Fiore, and a fan of his apocalyptic teachings. Salimbene joined the Franciscan order in 1238 at the monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
of Fano
Fano
Fano is a town and comune of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy. It is a beach resort 12 km southeast of Pesaro, located where the Via Flaminia reaches the Adriatic Sea...
. He led a life of wandering, avoiding his father who did not wish him to join the order, and visited Pisa and other Italian towns; then in 1247 he was sent to Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, and visited Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
, Troyes
Troyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
, 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....
, Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
, Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Reggio
Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia is an affluent city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 170,000 inhabitants and is the main comune of the Province of Reggio Emilia....
and the monastery of Montefalcone
Montefalcone
Montefalcone may refer to one of the following comuni in Italy:*Montefalcone Appennino, in the province of Ascoli Piceno*Montefalcone di Val Fortore, in the province of Benevento*Montefalcone nel Sannio, in the province of Campobasso...
(near San Polo d'Enza
San Polo d'Enza
San Polo d'Enza is a comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, located about 70 km west of Bologna and about 20 km southwest of Reggio Emilia...
). The last was the probable site of his death.
Works
Salimbene's main work was his Cronica ("Chronicle"), covering the years 1167–1287. It was begun around 1282 and begins with the founding of AlessandriaAlessandria
-Monuments:* The Citadel * The church of Santa Maria di Castello * The church of Santa Maria del Carmine * Palazzo Ghilini * Università del Piemonte Orientale-Museums:* The Marengo Battle Museum...
. His extensive travels meant that he met many important people of the time including Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
, Louis IX of France
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
and Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:...
. He also describes everyday life vividly and gives unrivalled detail into internal disputes in the Franciscan order at the time.
He also wrote The Twelve Calamities of Emperor Frederick II and several treatises now lost. "The Twelve Calamities" is set up as a kind of servant's narrative (Exempla, examples), made to demonstrate the faults of Frederick II - often with loosely-fitted biblical quotations. One of the major themes of the work is Salimbene's emphasis on numerology
Numerology
Numerology is any study of the purported mystical relationship between a count or measurement and life. It has many systems and traditions and beliefs...
. The chronicle itself is set up to demonstrate the parallel between the ten plagues and the ten calamities of Frederick II (conveniently he tacked on the last two after the parallel). Emphasizing the Christian nature of his narrative and the non-Christian nature of Frederick, Salimbene turns a phrase used during the crusades claiming that he'd "have been the best ruler, if only he were Christian."
Further reading
- The Chronicle of Salimbene de Adam ed. by J.L. Baird, G. Baglivi & J.R. Kane (Binghamton, N.Y.; Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies, 1986)
External links
- Excerpt from the Chronicle of Salimbene on Frederick II, "as translated and paraphrased by G. Coulton"
- Cronica, Ferdinando Bernini, Bari, 1942; scan of the complete text.