Articles

• The Medieval Architecture of Cistercian Nunneries in the Low Countries

  Thomas Coomans

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  In the Low Countries and more particularly in the county of Flanders, the duchy of Brabant and the principality of Liège no less than eighty-five Cistercian nunneries were founded during the Middle Ages. A general history of this movement still needs to be written. The traditional historiography mainly focused on the foundation process of the nunneries, on their patrons and on how the early communities were integrated into the Cistercian order or became beguinages.

  Apart from the monographs on abbeys and some regional studies, there has also been interest in the spiritual work...

• Penitential preachers and the IHS-mania on buildings

  Dirk Jan de Vries

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  Since the middle of the fifteenth century the name of Jesus is increasingly found on buildings and other objects. This pious custom was encouraged by the Observants, in this case the preachers of the Franciscan monastic order and was later taken over by the Jesuits. The initiative was taken by Bernardinus of Siena (1380-1444), who was canonized in 1450. After his sermon the letters IHS were applied to the town hall of Siena in 1425, where they are still to be seen.

  The application of the name of Jesus to the town halls of Deventer and Zwolle in 1458 and 1455 respectively was...