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| Olivetans | |
|---|---|
| Name | Olivetans |
| Native name | Congregation of Monte Oliveto |
| Caption | Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore |
| Founded | 1313 |
| Founder | Bernardo Tolomei |
| Type | Catholic religious order |
| Headquarters | Siena |
Olivetans are a Roman Catholic monastic congregation within the Benedictine Order founded in the early 14th century by Bernardo Tolomei at Monte Oliveto Maggiore near Siena. The congregation developed amid the religious currents of late medieval Italy, interacting with figures such as Pope John XXII, Pope Urban V, and patrons including the Medici family. Olivetans preserved the Rule of Saint Benedict while participating in reform movements alongside contemporaries like the Cistercians and Camaldolese.
The foundation at Monte Oliveto Maggiore in 1313 by Bernardo Tolomei followed precedents from Benedict of Nursia and drew attention from ecclesiastical authorities such as Pope John XXII and Cardinal Egidio Albornoz. During the Renaissance the congregation expanded under patrons including the Medici family, establishing houses across Italy, France, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire. The Olivetans navigated challenges caused by the Protestant Reformation, the Council of Trent, and secularizing policies of states like Napoleonic France, while later experiencing revival in the 19th century with support from figures such as Pope Pius IX and Pope Leo XIII.
Olivetans emphasize a synthesis of the Rule of Saint Benedict and the contemplative tradition shaped by founders like Bernardo Tolomei, with spiritual currents connected to Bonaventure, Thomas Aquinas, and Francis of Assisi through Italian devotional culture. Their charism highlights liturgical prayer centered on the Divine Office, manual labor in the tradition of Ora et labora, and hospitality influenced by medieval monastic precedents including Cluny and the Cistercian reform. Artistic patronage and devotional art, exemplified by commissions from patrons like the Medici family and works related to Pisanello and Fra Angelico, reflect Olivetan integration of spirituality and Renaissance culture.
Governance follows monastic models akin to those in the wider Benedictine Confederation, with primacies exercised by an Abbot General elected in chapter meetings similar to procedures seen in congregations such as the Cassinese Congregation and institutions under papal oversight like Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Houses are autonomous abbeys or priories governed by abbots or priors, accountable through visitations analogous to practices in orders overseen historically by figures like Cardinal Carlo Borromeo and institutions shaped by decrees from the Council of Trent.
Daily life centers on the Liturgy of the Hours, Eucharistic devotion associated with Tridentine Mass traditions, lectio divina in line with practices promoted by Benedict of Nursia, and agricultural or artisanal work that recalls monastic economies tied to estates like those of the Medici family or monastic communities in Tuscany. Formation includes novitiate stages comparable to other Benedictine houses such as Sant'Anselmo in Rome, with professions and vows regulated by canon law norms promulgated by popes including Pope Pius XII and clarified by the Second Vatican Council. Olivetan observance manifests in communal chant traditions related to Gregorian chant and manuscript production akin to medieval scriptoriums that produced works for patrons like the Este family.
Prominent houses include Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore, an artistic center with fresco cycles tied to artists patronized by the Medici family; monasteries in Siena, Florence, and Venice; and foundations in Spain and France that intersected with regional ecclesiastical politics involving Isabella I of Castile and Louis XI of France. Other significant sites include houses influenced by reforms led in parallel by congregations such as the Cassinese Congregation and monastic complexes comparable to Monte Cassino in historical prominence.
Key individuals include founder Bernardo Tolomei; abbots who engaged with papal authorities such as those corresponding with Pope Urban V; artists and patrons associated with Olivetan houses who interacted with figures like Fra Angelico, Pisanello, and members of the Medici family; and later monastics who participated in 19th-century Catholic revival movements endorsed by Pope Pius IX and Pope Leo XIII.
The Olivetans influenced monastic architecture and devotional art during the Renaissance, contributing to artistic currents patronized by families such as the Medici family and Este family and affecting liturgical practice through preservation of chant traditions linked to Gregorian chant. Their presence in Europe intersected with political changes from the Napoleonic Wars to 19th-century national realignments, engaging with ecclesiastical reforms from the Council of Trent to the Second Vatican Council. Olivetan monasteries continue to be studied in scholarship on medieval and Renaissance monasticism alongside institutions like Monte Cassino and the Cluniac Order.
Category:Catholic orders and societies Category:Benedictines