A timeless love: the story of Abelard and Heloise

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Love is timeless. Literature and mythology they narrated by many ardent passions among pairs of lovers, But what we tell you today is a different story, particular. This is, In fact, one of the few love stories that have a historical Foundation as a stage, come down to us thanks to a series of letters that the two lovers exchanged when they were forced to divide their streets.
But proceed in order. We in France, Paris, early 12th century. The protagonists are Abelardo, an internationally renowned theologian and cleric, and Heloise, a cultured and intelligent young woman.
The history between the two began in 1116, When Heloise's uncle decides to give the city's most coveted master with grandson, Abelardo. Soon the lessons are transformed into real events, during which time instead of dealing with culture and erudition lovers are devoted to each other, discovering ultimately to love intensely, as you will recall just a few years after Heloise in one of his letters:
Those pleasures which we both totally dedicated ourselves when we were lovers, they were so sweet to me that I can only regret this, or they may fade from my memory, not even a little. […] These visions I save even when I sleep. Even during the solemnity of the mass, When the prayer must be the purest, the obscene images of those miserable soul took possession of my enjoyment to the point that I think more sensual pleasures to prayer”.
When Heloise realizes she is pregnant Abelardo decides to take her with him in Britain, where will their child Astrolabe. Moved by love, Abelardo marries companion, aware that if this news was leaked he would put at risk its reputation, but above all, would sacrifice the work and studies of a lifetime. Unfortunately the fact soon became public knowledge, and to prevent further scandal the theologian does hide his wife in a monastery. Eloisa's relatives do not understand though this gesture, and they believe that Abelard is attempting to permanently get rid of newly constructed family in order not to lose its reputation. Decide so to take an extreme Act: overnight does emasculate by three gunmen on poor Abelard.
From that moment on, Peter Abelard and heloïse don't meet more, but begin to write, Lucky for us, passionate letters of theological and philosophical content, occasionally dotted with sweet memories of the past. The figure of Eloisa is what surprises us most: took the veil at the monastery that had taken refuge, subtle and sophisticated words tries to regain her husband's love, maybe never came minus, but surely weakened after serious accident. It reminds him of what he had in his own letters boost love him thus boldly:
Who among the Kings and philosophers could match your fame? Which region, or city, or country was burning to see you? Chi, I ask you, When you walked among the people, not ran for look? And when you went, who didn't try to follow you with our eyes, straining my neck and turning your eyes? Which bride, which Virgin, you wished ardently if I were absent and, If you were there, not blushed? As the Queen or noble woman envied my joys and my bed?”.
Eloisa efforts are however rooms: Abelardo is very strict with his wife, inviting you to devote himself body and soul to the service of God only, While aware of the fact that the veil worn by Eloisa wasn't for vocation but to need.
The love that had tied the two lovers, through the correspondence, goes by sublimating into something that is beyond mere carnal passion to become love of language, love of the intellect, absolute love.
Today, nine centuries after their romance, Abelard and Heloise resting together at the monumental cemetery Pere-Lachaise, in Paris. Finally can be together for eternity.

Maria

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Dante: a purgatory between angels and demons

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Always, Purgatory has attracted to its intermediate realm condition: is inside you "plays" in heaven. Born from a paradox, invented by two Greek theologians, Clement of Alexandria and Origen, Purgatory was brought in the wake of the Christian tradition from two giants of Christianity, Augustine and Gregory the great. Until the year 1000, don't you ever conceived of purgatory as a noun (Purgatory), but as an adjective (is Purgatory): It was regarded as a purgatory type fire, that purgava and he cleaned the souls allowing them to ascend to Heaven, or even if their guilt was so serious, to fall to hell. Points were only ever two: Heaven and hell. This duality was the common way of thinking of the medieval society, that everything was duale: good and evil, servants and masters, Pope and Emperor, life and death, Heaven and hell. In the transition from low to high middle ages, society evolves towards forms of thought is no longer duals, but ternary: arise within the company the third orders (There are those who pray, There are those who fight and those who are working). If the feudal world had seen a rigid opposition between servants and masters, between Lords and vassals, now comes a third class, that bourgeois, that settles in the cities; not only, in ecclesiastical circles take the field the third orders, not just secular priests and monks, But even the Mendicant Friars. It evolves as well, therefore also the vision of the afterlife: Paradise, Hell and loci purgatori. There shall be directed toward the belief that the souls, that is not so good to have you deserve heaven, but not even so bad from falling into hell, must be purged somewhere, Yes, but where? Purgatory is conceived as an extension of hell, as an upper floor of the Hells. Was Dante to snatch the Purgatory from the clutches of Satan to bring him back to paradise. The Tuscan poet introduced us purgatory as a real place, determined, evident, represented by a circular mountain composed of seven layers, regions and kingdoms in which souls are the seven deadly sins. The ascent of the mountain by Virgil and Dante is an ascent to heaven, to God: as you reach the top the soul is purged, becoming so lightweight you can ascend to heaven. Despite the pains of purgatory are so harsh, to be almost infernal, the soul endures because looking up sees the light, see the face of God. The soul reaches its perfection, rediscovering the item that was absent in Purgatory, love. This is the great invention of Dante: If hell is a place of pain, Heaven is a place of love, purgatory is a place of hope not only for the dead souls in the afterlife, but especially for the living of the afterlife because they can live their lives without feeling always looming on the burden of sin and with knowledge of a hope of salvation after death. Like Dante could think of all this? Simply, thinking as she thought God: Jesus dying on the cross gave hope to the thief crucified next to him: "Today you will be with me in Paradise".

Roberto Rossetti

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The 24 December 1223 the Crib

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The 24 December 1223 was born in Greccio the Nativity scene, by the will of Saint Francis of Assisi: It was the first historical representation of the Nativity of Jesus. This event was the representation of the Nativity scene, tradition that has lasted until today. Francis felt strongly the need to visit the "sacred" places of the Holy Land, Jerusalem between all. Actually, This need lies in the European interest of reappropriation of those territories who told the story of Christian origins, before the old and then in the new testament. In those years, among the 1217 and the 1220 took the fifth crusade, convened by Pope Honorius III involving many European armies and had as its Palestine. However, because of internal strife between the Crusaders, the campaign proved a failure and the capture of Jerusalem was only an unfulfilled dream. The 13th century is located in the medieval age, in an era that saw the rise of mendicant movements, including Franciscans and Dominicans, the so-called "third order"; they stand between the clerical order and the monastic order, carrying around Europe ideals of poverty and mendicancy, required for a true Christian life. In this rut stands above all the task of the "poor man of Assisi". One of the most impressive and effective ways for these bearers of ideals was not only to preach in European markets, but to represent through images what was Christianity. What better way then to depict the Nativity of Jesus, to live again "live" the foundational event of Christianity.

The Staff of Coffee and History takes this opportunity to extend to you all our best wishes for happy holidays!

Roberto

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A "Holy living" between the middle ages and Renaissance: Elena Duglioli

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Between the end of ' 400 and early ' 500 women have claimed an active role in society, rejecting the silence imposed on them for centuries. It is in this context that there are the figures of "sante vive", extreme religious asceticism with templates, at the same time, a decent political and social power.

Elena Duglioli, born in 1472 in Bologna, the age of fifteen he was married to Benedict Dall'Olio, a notary of confidence of the canons regular of the convent of San Giovanni in Monte in Bologna. In 1506 was made public the fact that, After eighteen years of marriage, Elena still retained her virginity. This was the factor that gave way to his worship and building his hagiographic legend, that will be the highlight among the 1506 and the 1520. It is no coincidence that the worship of the woman is placed in this period of history so dramatic, characterized by the collapse of the rule of the Bentivoglio and the return of Bologna to the Papal sovereignty: the woman revered became a form of alternative family worship bentevolesca, that during the "horrende de Italy wars”, He was run out of town.

After the death of Elena in the 1520, devotion to her figure does not appear to decrease, Indeed, the were even attributed miraculous new acts, of which the best known is that of the presence of breast milk in old age, that would continue to ooze even after the death of the blessed.

Despite an initial examination conducted on the corpse of Elena unsuccessfully, He was later declared a certain State of incorruzione of the corpse. However, Although the bolognese tradition Elena has always been venerated as a Saint, was never initiated any canonical trial, at least until 1828, When the woman will be awarded the title of Blessed on the basis of the documentary evidence of the cult AB immemorial.

Maria

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