Storie parallele: domenicane e clarisse a Palermo nei secoli XIV e XV tra ordini mendicanti e ceti nobiliari cittadini

In this article we examine the history of the convents of Santa Caterina, ruled by the Dominican order, and Santa Chiara, linked to the Friars Minor, in connection with mendicant Orders, urban life, and families. The convents were founded by knightly families in the first half of the 14th century in Palermo, which had lost its political role because of the king’s absence. Female figures and male presences have been studied in connection with the history of the city. In the 15th century the Observant Reform touched both convents, and quarrels broke out for the charge of abbess. From an economic point of view, Santa Caterina had always been the wealthiest convent in Palermo, while Santa Chiara was next to last in wealth.