Monastic orders in Florence.
Florence is a place that holds many secrets, and this is reflected in the two historical periods of the territory: before the arrival of the Medici and after them. Yes, the history of the world is a history of wars. One of the states whose history is inextricably linked to the history of constant wars, coups d’état, and therefore the multifaceted history of the art of war, is Florence.
The first orders of chivalry – the three most famous orders of the Holy Land and the three Spanish orders – emerged as the purest embodiment of the medieval spirit in the combination of monastic and chivalric ideals, at a time when the battle with Islam was becoming a hitherto unaccustomed reality. They then grew into major political and economic institutions, vast economic complexes and financial powers.
Political gain gradually overshadowed their spiritual character, and economic appetites in turn took precedence over political gain. When the Templars and the Johannites flourished and were still active in the Holy Land, chivalry had real political and financial functions and the knightly orders, as a kind of class organisations, were of considerable importance. The Expeditionary Corps was constantly dealing with the symbols and temples of the monks of the Franciscan Order, the Templar Order, the Order of St Santiago, and on the territory of Florence these orders are also represented. But that’s not all.
The Order of St Dominic (Dominicans) – also did not bypass the magnificent Florence.
It is certainly not by chance that the presence in one small area of so many knightly orders, as well as an incredible abundance of temples and cathedrals. Historically, it is known that the Dominican Order is the “father” of the Hospitallers – it was in the depths of the Dominican Order that the Hospitaller Order emerged.
A second such analogy is the Templars. The Templar Order originated and was founded in the depths of the Franciscan Order. In this way the chain of connection between the Dominican Order and the Hospitaller Order was closed.
On the tour the guide will introduce you to the history of the monastic orders that were present on the territory of Florence. You will visit Dominican, Franciscan and Benedictine churches and monasteries, and see the artworks that adorn them.
