What is it about?
The new Society of Jesus cooperated with the new Medici state in Florence, Siena, and smaller cities in the Grand Duchy to create a strong, centralized system of education and of governance. They relied on each other to do this, and created both personal and professional ties which benefited each other's power. Sources include correspondence, financial records, official documents related to the foundations of the Medici dynasty and the colleges of the Society of Jesus, and period reports on the operations of the colleges.
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Why is it important?
The initial histories of these colleges has not been written in English, and this book includes reconstructions of the administration and discussion of the contents of the libraries. Histories of the Jesuits generally focus on the relationship between the Society and local political leadership, but these have focused on larger and more powerful states. Recent work on the relationship between the Dukes of Modena and the Jesuits shows the increase of interest in secondary states.
Perspectives
This is part of my ongoing research on priests and education in Tuscany, and is supported by work I am currently doing on the content and use of Jesuit libraries (see www.jesuit-libraries.com).
Professor of History Kathleen M. Comerford
Georgia Southern University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Jesuit Foundations and Medici Power, 1532–1621 , January 2017, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004300576.
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