En los orígenes de la observancia

Abstract

The birth and evolution of a group of Franciscan reformers known as the Frades da prove vida is analyzed. Its objective is to return to the purity of the Franciscan rule. In the short period that elapses from 1389 to 1407 they carry out seven foundations in Galicia and eight in Portugal. The foundations in two kingdoms respond to the existence of the Schism and to the different obedience of Castile (to Avignon) and of Portugal (to Rome). The first documented protagonists are Fray Gonzalo Mariño, Fray Diego Arias and Fray Pedro Díaz. They are supported by local ecclesiastical authorities that facilitate access to pre-existing hermitages and chapels. They settle in their surroundings in poor habitats, in wooded and lonely areas, recalling the first steps of Saint Francis of Assisi and his Fraternitas. They also have support from the Galician nobility and the Compostela bourgeoisie. Their survival continues until the middle of the 15th century, when they begin to suffer pressure from observers. At the beginning of the 16th century, they became part of the Regular Observance. The material structures of these initial hermitages are renewed with the elevation of small monasteries and the pre-existing chapels are transformed into oratories.

Keywords

• Frades da prove vida
• Observance
• Friar Gonzalo Mariño
• Galicia
• Oratories