ABSTRACT
Although they were a recognized religious order for some 370 years (12011571), the Humiliati (“Humbled Ones”) produced a paltry number of holy figures, a handful of beati, and only one, probably apocryphal, saint, Giovanni de Meda.1 Venerated by the order from the fifteenth century onwards, Giovanni de Meda was commemorated as their twelfth-century founder. A legend recounted how the penniless saint was visited by the archangel Gabriel, who gave him a sack of gold to feed himself and his brethren, and one of these coins was later treasured as a relic.2 Repeating this story, the historian John Wickstrom dryly noted: “[i]t is difficult to imagine a gold coin serving as a remembrance of Dominic.”3 Wickstrom’s comment perfectly characterizes the singular position of the Humiliati within later medieval Italian society, especially in its contrast to other religious orders, such as the mendicants, who had their origins at precisely the same time. The early Humiliati shared ideals with the Franciscans and Dominicans, namely the rejection of the lavish materialism enjoyed by secular clergy and the return to a life of apostolic simplicity. While they embraced the virtues of charity and humility, the Humiliati did not take a vow of poverty, and were not averse to handling and earning money. Indeed, during the first century of their existence, they were a lively part of the dynamic, proto-capitalist activities in Italian cities, even acting as merchants and entrepreneurs. This situation enhanced the wealth of this order, and they attempted to resolve the contradictory impulses of humble simplicity and material success by embracing biblical passages such as Luke 14:11-“he who humbles himself will be exalted” (as in the text illustrated in Figure 7.4). Ultimately the Humiliati were unable to reconcile their religious ideals and a precarious monastic identity with their financial success. By the fifteenth century, their disengagement from commerce resulted in their decline and eventual suppression.
