23 Catherine Boyd, A Cistercian Nunnery in Medieval Italy (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1943), p. 66.

24 Morris. p. 16.

Abbess

• Administered the abbey.

• In case of a double monastery, this meant directing the monks as well as nuns.

• Acted as spiritual leader, sometimes acting as confessor and might preach.

• Called out troops if the ruler required it.

• Collected taxes and tithes (payments to the church).

• Maintained the buildings.

• Initiated legal cases.

• Selected chaplains and priests for the nuns' order from local churches.

• Encouraged scholarship.

• Supervised children in the convent schools.

• Educated missionaries.

Fratress

• Kept the frater or refectory (dining area) clean.

• Repaired chairs and tables.

• Purchased the cloths and dishes.

• Supervised table settings and meals.

• Saw that the lavatory was clean.

Cellaress

• Was in charge of food supply for the nuns and servants.

• Ordered ale, grain for bread, pickled meat and bought fish.

• Usually supervised the convent farm.

Infirmnaress

• Was in charge of the sick—bathed them, changed their beds, and gave them medicine.

Treasuress

• Received all money paid to the abbey.

• Paid all the bills.

• Kept account records.

• Planned yearly budget.

Kitchenness

• Supervised fixing of the meals.

Sacrist

• Cared for the church sanctuary.

• Polished silverplate.

• Kept vestments (robes uses in services).

• Directed the creation and maintenance of altar cloths.

• Supervised the making of candles for the sanctuary.

Chantress

• Managed church services.

• Trained nuns for singing.

• Acted as librarian.

Chambress

• Was in charge of the every day clothing of the nuns and servants.

• Saw to the repair and making of clothes.

Mistress of Novices

• Was schoolmistress to the novices (student nuns).

• Oversaw the proper behavior of members of the order.

Almoness

• Dispersed alms, charity, to poor.25

A glimpse at the extent to which these women had to plan and organize may be seen in the following quotation from a 14th century abbess. She related the budgeting of different lands for different purposes.

25 These categories are representative of English nunneries: See Power, Medieval English Nunneries,

p. 131-160.

· Country of Origin / Nationality: Italian

· Also Known as: Christine de Pisan

· Lifetime: 1364 -1430

· Born: She was born in Venice in 1364

· Family connections : She was the the daughter of Tommaso di Benvenuto da Pizzano (Thomas de Pizan), a physician, professor of astrology, and Councillor of the Republic of Venice

· Christine de Pazan moved to Paris at the age of five with her father who had been appointed as the astrologer to Charles V

· Christine de Pazan spent the rest of her life in France.

· Married: Etienne du Castel at the age of 15. They had three children

· Childhood, early life and education: Extremely well educated in languages, literature, science and geometry

· Occupation and Career: Medieval writer, rhetorician and critic. After her husband died Christine de Pizan sought to support herself as a writer of Ballads and later books

· She had a famous quarrel with the author Jean de Meun. Christine de Pazan was incensed at his book called 'Roman de la Rose'. In her book called 'L'Epistre au Dieu d'amours' she took a strong stand against him criticising his work as being immoral and mysoginistic

· In 1415 Christine retired to a convent where she continued to write

· Died: Christine de Pizan died in 1430

· Accomplishments and Achievements or why Christine de Pizan was famous: As a Medieval author and feminist. Her books included The Book of the City of Ladies, The Book of Three Virtues and her autobiography called L'Avision de Christine.

Christine de PizanThe story and biography of Christine de Pizan which contains interesting information, facts & the history about the life of this Medieval woman of historical importance. Although Christine de Pazan was born in Italy she spent most of her life in France where she received an excellent education. She was happily married to Etienne du Castel at the age of 15 and they had three children. Her husband died at the age of thirty four and Christine de Pazan became a widow tens years after her marriage. She was determined to make her own living. And she achieved this through her writing. She was highly intelligent, courageous and not afraid to speak her mind. Her criticism of 'Roman de la Rose' by Jean de Meun resulted in her reputation as one of the first feminists.

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Convent of San Marco

http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/museum_of_san_marco.html#

cloister

http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/museum_of_san_marco.html#

http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/museum_of_san_marco.html#

http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/museum_of_san_marco.html#

http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/museum_of_san_marco.html#

http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/museum_of_san_marco.html#

http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/museum_of_san_marco.html#

Music

Ave Maria

Oxford Camerata Summerly, Jeremy - Conductor

http://unb.naxosmusiclibrary.com.proxy.hil.unb.ca/stream.asp?s=28487%2Funbnmlpaid06%2F271267%5F01

Hail Mary full of grace

Oxford Camerata Summerly, Jeremy - Conductor

http://unb.naxosmusiclibrary.com.proxy.hil.unb.ca/stream.asp?s=28487%2Funbnmlpaid06%2F271267%5F12

There is no rose

Oxford Camerata Summerly, Jeremy - Conductor

http://unb.naxosmusiclibrary.com.proxy.hil.unb.ca/stream.asp?s=28487%2Funbnmlpaid06%2F271267%5F08

Tapestry

http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=medieval+tapestries+by+nuns&hl=en&sa=X&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4RNRN_enCA434CA435&biw=1525&bih=603&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnsb&tbnid=CXYF0790Fg6k3M:&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/thorskegga/favorites/page3/%3Fview%3Dlg&docid=RJZyIDIaAVcE-M&imgurl=http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2245/2309301451_526e8322f9_z.jpg&w=640&h=640&ei=cb0gT6itLcbY0QH2-rX2CA&zoom=1

Females depicted in chapel-

Medieval nuns

Among the surviving monastery embroideries are a number of solidly embroidered wall hangings (often called tapestries) done predominantly in klosterstich or convent stitch. Also called “self-couching,” this is a simple filling technique. A long thread is taken across the area to be filled, and then fastened down at intervals by small stitches in the same thread on a return journey. When worked in close parallel lines, this produces a smooth, solid colored surface, almost like weaving. Other names for this technique include figure stitch, brokatstich, and Bokhara or Roumanian couching. [1]

There are more than fifty of these surviving klosterstich pieces in Germany and the surrounding area, ranging from the earliest 14th century (1300s) all the way through to the end of the 16th century, with very little change in technique. An older, but possibly related, piece (bottom of this page) is the Creation tapestry, now in Girona, Spain. It is tentatively dated to sometime in the 11th or 12th century, but where and when it was made are not clear, since the first description of it is in a cathedral inventory of 1884.