Chronicle of Le Murate

Saundra Weddle is Associate Professor of Architecture and Art History at Drury University. She has authored several articles relating to the form and function of convent architecture in Renaissance Italy.

"Sister Giustina Niccolini's Chronicle of Le Murate captures both the gritty realities and the soaring spirituality of convent life in Renaissance Florence. Niccolini offers an inside look at how her community grew from a small female hermitage circa 1400 into the largest, most prominent Florentine convent by 1600. As she traces this spectacular rise, Niccolini illuminates the tenor of everyday life and the complexity of interpersonal relationships within a hothouse atmosphere. This unique chronicle also bristles with insight into such important issues as collective governance, patterns of patronage, the creation of a rich visual culture, and the decisive impact of Tridentine reform. Weddle's translation successfully catches the immediacy of the author's voice as well as its stately cadences."

• Acknowledgments xiiiIntroduction 1The Other Voice 1Historical Contexts 3The Role of Convents in Women’s Experiences in Renaissance Florence 3Political Alliances and Patronage Ties 12Religious Reform 16The Author: Sister Giustina Niccolini 20The Chronicle 22Characteristic Features 22Chronological Framework 24Renaissance Art in the Chronicle 30Afterlife of the Chronicle 33Note on the Text and Translation 38List of Abbreviations 39The Chronicle of Santissima Annunziata delle Murate 41[Introductory Letter] 42[Preface] 44[Early Years on the Rubaconte Bridge, 1390–1424] 48[Early Years on Via Ghibellina, 1424–1439] 56[The Abbacy of Sister Scolastica Rondinelli, 1439–1475] 73[A Period of Instability, 1475–1530] 123[New Patterns of Patronage, 1530–1567] 186[The Council of Trent’s Decrees and Beyond, 1567–1598] 213Bibliography 337Index 345