ABSTRACT
Catholic monastic life is usually built around the sexual segregation of men and women as a condition for ascetic achievement. Some double monasteries have existed in history, just as the mixing of the sexes in communities at different levels appears to be a characteristic of the new monastic communities studied by Stefania Palmisano. In the same way as for men’s communities, knowing the economic history of women’s communities helps in understanding their current situation. The differences between male and female communities concerning the economy are visible on several levels: the type of work, the type of economic activity, the relationship to the economy and the management of the economy. The dependence of communities of nuns on male communities concerns mainly the sacraments and the Eucharistic liturgy. The study of the organisation of monastic economies shows a greater dependence of women’s monasteries on lay structures to advise them in their economic decisions.
