Liturgy, Sanctity and History in Tridentine Italy. Pietro Maria Campi and the Preservation of the Particular

Abstract

success of the Third Orders therefore undermined the original independence of the lay movement of penitence.It is in this context that Casagrande highlights the origins "from below" of the flagellant movement.It sought to maintain the lay independence of the penitents while still offering a means to engage in pious works for the reform of society.It is these that she refers to as the "veri laid."The clergy supported these groups but they did not direct them.Throughout the volume Casagrande manifests her special expertise in the religious life of Umbria in general and Perugia in particular.This provides both the greatest strength of the work and its limits.The author's description and analysis of the origin and growth of recluses, tertiaries, and disciplinati is both rich and insightful.However, since the examples are limited to central Italy one is left wondering what the experience of penitents was elsewhere.This, however, would require further research and local studies.Casagrande has shown the way.