Monastery of mendicant orders

Monastery of mendicant orders is the specific monastery of the mendicant orders.

History

In 1205, Francis of Assisi began, together with a small group of followers, a new kind of Christian life to spread the teachings of Christ. In 1207, Domingo de Guzmán also decided to dedicate his life to preaching and poverty. Both groups had in common the preaching in the urban sphere, the contact with the people, the teaching of poverty and the conception of establishing the convents in the villas or cities, buildings that should in principle be austere and serve only as shelter and housing of the friars.

We must differentiate between monastery and convent. The mendincantes are friars who live in convents within the cities, while the monks, like the Benedictines, lived in monasteries that were outside the cities and owned large lands for their maintenance.

You can speak of monasteries in the case of nuns of the second order. These lived in cloisters and separated from the people in the style of monastic life. This second order was given among both Franciscans and Dominicans.

Female monasteries

The feminine monasteries of Franciscan nuns (clears) are closed and only share with the outside world the church, often divided by a gate that protects the private part or choir. For this way of life the scheme of the former Benedictine monasteries was more timely. A good example of this type of cenob is that of Santa María de Pedralbes in Barcelona whose foundation dates from 1326.

Architecture

In origin the convents and monasteries of these orders were humble buildings, even the church. This was covered with wood socket; its plant was simple, a ship and a polygonal apse. Over time, wooden sockets were replaced by beautifully decorated vaults and in some temples a cruise was added in which more abyss were opened.

The main characteristic of the church was the fact that it was open to everyone, whether religious or secular. The mendicant friars reserved a small space or choir behind the main altar for their prayers. The ordinances said that all ornamentation should be avoided in sculpture, painting and stained glass. As the years passed, these rigid rules were no longer respected and the churches acquired rich decorations. A good example of this is the Franciscan church of Santa Croce in Florence whose stained glass windows and murals are far from the desired austerity. Another example of transformation is the church of the Jacobins of Toulouse, of the Dominican friars, expanded and sponsored by bishops and cardinals who achieved luxury apart from the rigorist principles of the mendicant preachers.

The cloisters of these churches were also adapted to their missionary activity towards the laity. The spaces of the chapter house, refectory and bedroom are located interchangeably in any part of the patio, according to needs. The chapter house and the refectory are public places where lay people can enter on certain occasions when they need it. When time passed, powerful families influenced these monasteries, they used these rooms to receive their own burial and sometimes the refectory (dining rooms) were used for large banquets of the urban aristocracy. The monks had their shelter in their private cells, where they slept and worked.