Letters in Late Medieval Franciscan Observant Chronicles: Communication, Narrative, and Reform
Letters in Late Medieval Franciscan Observant Chronicles: Communication, Narrative, and Reform

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this paper is to discuss the many functions of the letters in sev¬eral late medieval Franciscan Observant chroniclers. Through a comparative analysis of several chronicles originating from early sixteenth century Observant circles, I il¬lustrate the main uses of letters in historical narratives, from their heavy presence and function as vehicles of information to a quasi-absence thereof. The integration of letters in chronicles contributes to the understanding of ideas of accuracy in a late medieval narrative: while chronicles that embed a smaller number of letters may raise questions about their reliability, those that include or simply mention a substantial number of let¬ters appear to have aimed at providing a more precise account of events. In light of this diversity of usage, a question arises: what motivated certain chroniclers to prioritize the accuracy of information conveyed through letters, and conversely, why did other chroniclers favor a narrative discourse uninterrupted by epistolary documents? In the first part of the paper, I discuss several key features of epistolography in chronicle writ¬ing. Then, I move to the main areas in which we see letters at work: network formation, communication, decision making, moral instruction, transmission of knowledge, nar¬rative, and character building. Finally, I examine how chronicles can be used to reveal new features of medieval epistolography.

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