Famous Dominican monk, literary man, orator, philosopher, theologian and philologist, Beato Giordano (Blessed Jordan) was born in the castle of Rivalto in 1260. Among the key speakers of his time and the most elegant Tuscan idiom creators, contributes to the spread of eyeglasses.
On 23 September 1926 with Royal Decree published in the Official Gazette by the King Vittorio Emanuele III it is declared national monument the house where Beato Giordano was born, located in Rivalto between Via dei Poggi and Via Vespucci, unfortunately destroyed by the fighting of World War II. In its place it was placed a plaque that read:
On 23 September 1926 with Royal Decree published in the Official Gazette by the King Vittorio Emanuele III it is declared national monument the house where Beato Giordano was born, located in Rivalto between Via dei Poggi and Via Vespucci, unfortunately destroyed by the fighting of World War II. In its place it was placed a plaque that read:
"Events of war destroyed the house
but not the memory of Beato Giordano from Rivalto,
the most learned Dominican of his day who, with the culture,
he contributed to the blossoming of Italian literature
and with words of fire he reformed costumes
by teaching in universities
and by preaching in churches and squares in Italy
in the sweet accent of the language of Dante
1260 - 1311
but not the memory of Beato Giordano from Rivalto,
the most learned Dominican of his day who, with the culture,
he contributed to the blossoming of Italian literature
and with words of fire he reformed costumes
by teaching in universities
and by preaching in churches and squares in Italy
in the sweet accent of the language of Dante
1260 - 1311
His yearning renovator of modern man Rivalto passes on to future generations”.
Giordano da Rivalto joins when is twenty years in the Order of Dominicans Friars Preachers in the Convent of St. Catherine, and studies theology at Pisa, Bologna and Paris. As of 1287 starts to travel, preach and studying in many European cities: Pisa, Perugia, Viterbo, Cologne, Florence.
In 1300 he establishes the Confraternita del SS. Salvatore (Confraternity of Saint Salvatore) in Pisa, also called of the Crocione (Confraternity of the great Cross) to stimulate religious practice among men. In 1955, the Confraternity is merged with that of the Misericordia (Mercy) into the Venerabile Arciconfraternita di Misericordia e Crocione di Pisa (Venerable Confraternity of Mercy and great Cross of Pisa) with charity activities and assistance in the Tuscan city.
In 1303 he is appointed general preacher and sermon in Florence, in the Church of Santa Maria Novella.
In 1303 he is appointed general preacher and sermon in Florence, in the Church of Santa Maria Novella.
He dies in Piacenza on August 19, 1311 during a trip that would take him to the chair in the famous Sorbonne University in Paris.
Pope Gregory XVI approved the cult of Brother Giordano da Rivalto and beatifies him in Pisa in 1834.
For centuries it has been lit and animated the debate on the place of birth of Beato Giordano, disputed between Rivalto and Pisa. Among the various arguments proposed by scholars, researchers and religious, the origin from the family Orlandini of Rivalto, the birth in Ripa Alta in Piedmont, his belonging to the family da Rivalto of Pisa. The official position of the Italian State concludes the debate in favor of the birth in Rivalto, although some scholars and religious from Pisa claim Pisa to be the birthplace of a personality who, surely, would give further prestige to a city of art and culture.
Even Father Achille Costagli, parish priest and lettered man of Rivalto, in the monograph "Breve Vita del Beato Giordano da Rivalto" (Brief Life of Beato Giordano da Rivalto) dating to 1900 approaches the topic with polemical tone by comparing the different thesis.
Pope Gregory XVI approved the cult of Brother Giordano da Rivalto and beatifies him in Pisa in 1834.
For centuries it has been lit and animated the debate on the place of birth of Beato Giordano, disputed between Rivalto and Pisa. Among the various arguments proposed by scholars, researchers and religious, the origin from the family Orlandini of Rivalto, the birth in Ripa Alta in Piedmont, his belonging to the family da Rivalto of Pisa. The official position of the Italian State concludes the debate in favor of the birth in Rivalto, although some scholars and religious from Pisa claim Pisa to be the birthplace of a personality who, surely, would give further prestige to a city of art and culture.
Even Father Achille Costagli, parish priest and lettered man of Rivalto, in the monograph "Breve Vita del Beato Giordano da Rivalto" (Brief Life of Beato Giordano da Rivalto) dating to 1900 approaches the topic with polemical tone by comparing the different thesis.
Sermons and Literary Works
Giordano preaches with vigor, simplicity and immediacy, even up to five times a day in churches and public squares, explaining the doctrine and the scriptures for the achievement of virtue, the conversion of souls, the search for truth and the depth towards the eternal life.
Encourages social equity and harmony of citizens, expressing opposition to power, to wealth, to extravagance, to political divisions, to arrogance of the feudal divisions and families, especially in a social and economic context where, in large and wealthy cities such as Florence and Pisa, it is important that the social role of trade and crafts does not degenerate into robbery, fraud, usury and illegal activities.
Encourages social equity and harmony of citizens, expressing opposition to power, to wealth, to extravagance, to political divisions, to arrogance of the feudal divisions and families, especially in a social and economic context where, in large and wealthy cities such as Florence and Pisa, it is important that the social role of trade and crafts does not degenerate into robbery, fraud, usury and illegal activities.
Famous his sermons on the Epiphany, the lessons on the Credo and the sermons on Genesis.
In the Quaresimale Fiorentino (Lenten Florentine), a series of lectures held during the 1305 in Florence in preparation of Easter, offers a model of Christian life aimed to penance, charity, fasting, prayer, condemning vices, customs and corruption of the rich Florentine.
Scholar, among other disciplines, of greek and hebrew, with great wisdom, an extraordinary memory and a polished and persuasive oratory, is a connoisseur of sacred texts and ancient authors. During his sermons he abandons the latin to preach to the people in an elegant vernacular, making use of similes, anacolutha, prolepsis and other rhetorical constructs, inspiring other preachers such as Bartolommeo da San Concordio, Domenico Cavalca da Vico, Iacopo Passavanti.
His more than seven hundred sermons, of which almost 400 in Pisa and 100 in Florence, will be transcribed by hand by audiences and brought up to today. At that time, the General Chapter of the Dominican in 1242, forbade to the brothers to write down the sermons in the vernacular because it was considered risky for interference of the laity.
The sermons of Giordano are used, in 1612, in the canon of the literary works mentioned in the "Vocabolario della Crusca" (Vocabulary of the Bran - The Academy della Crusca is the most important research institution on Italian language of scholars, linguists and philologists founded in Florence in 1583), subject of study and source of inspiration of Italian language.
The same Dante Alighieri, in Florence, is among the listeners of the sermons of the friar from Rivalto.
In the
biography of Jordan contained in "Memorie istoriche di più uomini illustri pisani" ("Historical memoirs of more illustrious Pisan men" - Pisa, Ranieri Prosperi, 1790-1792),
a powerful work in four volumes commissioned by the then Archbishop Angiolo Franceschi to the historian Angelo Fabroni and other authors and researchers of that time, the sermons of Friar Giordano "in the infancy of Tuscan language" are defined as "examples of well and good speech" for the qualities of clarity and harmony.
In 1311, after his death, a delegation of Pisa solemnly leads the remains of the Giordano in the city and the 25 September 2010 is buried in the Chiesa di San Giuseppe (Church of St. Joseph), where it is moved from the Chiesa di Santa Caterina (St. Catherine's Church) on the occasion of the seven hundredth anniversary of his death.
In March 1703 a delegation chosen by the inhabitants of the Castle of Rivalto composed by priest Marco Antonio Paoletti, Pietro Paolo Demi e Leonardo Fabbri and Giovanni Giusti, Luca Tempesti, Giovanni Falugi, Giovan Felice Giuli and Gabriele Cellari, in front to the Dominican Fathers of the Convent of St. Catherine of Pisa demand a sacred relic of their fellow countryman. It is given as a gift to the community and to the people of Castle Rivalto a tibia placed in a sealed urn (“Ossa et sacrae Reliquiae Còrporiss Beati Jordanis a Rivalto ab omnnibus Pisanae Civitatis Christi fidelibus pro talibus recognitae, aestimatae et veneratae, donum datum Communitati et populo dicti castri Rivalti”).
The urn with the sacred and venerated relic will be placed in the parish church of Saints Fabian and Sebastian, under the altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary, elegantly surrounded by 15 oil paintings representing the 15 mysteries of the Saint Rosary. In the altarpiece are represented Mary with the little boy who give a crown to St. Dominic and St. Catherine, at the center the Blessed Giordano in dominican habit, humbly kneeling in front of the Blessed Virgin, and an angel with an open book where it is written: "Facies tua decora, emissione tuae paradisus, B. Jordane, considera!".
At that time in the parish church was celebrated annually a commemoration in honor of Friar Giordano from Rivalto and, every three years, he was lead in a solemn procession through the streets of the Castle.
In 1960, due to the interest of the then mayor of the municipality of Chianni Severino Costagli, on the occasion of the eighth centenary of the birth of Friar Giordano, the urn with his body was brought into the Church of Rivalto where it is remained for a month for veneration by the inhabitants of his native country.
In 1960, due to the interest of the then mayor of the municipality of Chianni Severino Costagli, on the occasion of the eighth centenary of the birth of Friar Giordano, the urn with his body was brought into the Church of Rivalto where it is remained for a month for veneration by the inhabitants of his native country.
Beato Giordano and eyeglasses
Beato Giordano spreads the eyeglasses in Tuscany, at the time already produced and in use in Venice.
Giordano da Rivalto, during his stay in Bologna, met one of the brothers of the church of San Giacometto Rialto in Venice who has invented the glasses but not revealed the secret, at that time forbidden from the Serenissima (Venetian Republic then known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice). On his return to the Dominican Monastery of St. Catherine of Pisa, he was forty-years and suffering from presbyopia, Giordano showed a pair of glasses to Friar Alessandro della Spina who was able to reproduce a copy and that, as a good Dominican devoted to culture and reading , he popularized the technique of production in Tuscany to help with the "glass eyes" the fatigue of reading.
Dates back to 23 February 1305 the sermon of Friar Giordano da Rivalto at the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence "Is not yet twenty years that he found the art of making eyeglasses that show well, which is one of the best arts and more needed for the world, new art ... I saw the man who first created and propagated them".
Giordano da Rivalto, during his stay in Bologna, met one of the brothers of the church of San Giacometto Rialto in Venice who has invented the glasses but not revealed the secret, at that time forbidden from the Serenissima (Venetian Republic then known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice). On his return to the Dominican Monastery of St. Catherine of Pisa, he was forty-years and suffering from presbyopia, Giordano showed a pair of glasses to Friar Alessandro della Spina who was able to reproduce a copy and that, as a good Dominican devoted to culture and reading , he popularized the technique of production in Tuscany to help with the "glass eyes" the fatigue of reading.
Dates back to 23 February 1305 the sermon of Friar Giordano da Rivalto at the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence "Is not yet twenty years that he found the art of making eyeglasses that show well, which is one of the best arts and more needed for the world, new art ... I saw the man who first created and propagated them".
Of few years after the document from the Chronicle of the Dominican convent of Santa Caterina which recalls Brother Alessandro della Spina died in 1313 "Modest and good, who knew redo what he saw. He did the glasses (ocularia) and with pleasure communicated it to all, glasses that other first had done but did not want to communicate the secret"
Even in Umberto Eco's novel "The Name of the Rose" there is a reference to Giordano da Rivalto and to eye glasses.
When William of Baskerville, in showing work at the glass master of the monastery Nicholas of Morimondo, extracted from the pocket of his habit a couple of lenses, leaving amazed interlocutor, exclaimed: "Oculi de vitro cum capsula! I had heard tell of them from a Brother Jordan I met in Pisa! He said it was less than twenty years since that they had been invented. But I spoke with him more than twenty years ago. "