Jacopone lived from 1230, four years after the death of St. Francis, until 1306, when Dante Alighieri was writing the Divine Comedy. The poet and mystic of the Franciscan ideal, Jacopone da Todi was a major figure in European culture of the 13th Century, and his relevance for spiritual seekers continues today.
As a man who followed a spiritual compass without conforming to the dictates of the day, Jacopone aroused the ire of church leaders and suffered persecution. His record has endured distortions for centuries, limiting access to the inspiration of his life and work.
That is until now.
We are on a journey to strip away the distortions so that the light of this medieval mystic can finally shine through.
Winter Newsletter
January 2024
Volume 2 | Issue 1
All external aspects of Jacopone’s life – his poetry; his advocacy of Franciscan poverty; his criticism of corruption in the church - sprang from and were motivated by his love for, and experience of God. In this edition of the Newsletter we go to the heart of Jacopone's life – his experience of God and the insights and emotions associated with it, using the information he has provided for us in his poetry.
To read our previous newsletters visit our archive here.
Stories from Todi
A Tapestry of Faith
My mother had just died and her funeral was two weeks previous to my arriving in Todi in 2018. We have spent two weeks each year in Todi for the past decade. I was still grieving her loss but I was in Todi and – as I had discovered each year that we came here – a sense of peace and quiet joy settled in my heart. This year was no exception. However, this year in Umbria had yet to extend another special gift to me.
The Real Jacopone
Spirituality and Mysticism
Jacopone the Mystic
We often refer to Jacopone as a mystic, as well as a poet, emphasising that one cannot fully appreciate Jacopone’s poetry without understanding something about his mysticism.
But what is mysticism?
Mysticism means different things to different people but at its simplest, it is the search for an experiential knowledge of God, as opposed to purely intellectual, traditional or ritual approaches.
The laudi of ecstasy
Very different definitions of ecstasy exist. Some psychologists, not empathetic towards religious experience, classify ecstasy among mental disorders such as schizophrenia, hysteria and paranoia. Most dictionaries and encyclopedias define it approximately as: “a state of isolation and escape from reality, in order to be absorbed in a single object; an internal and exclusive perception”. This definition does not reflect the technical meaning of the word, which derives from Greek ex-stasis, “to be outside”, that is to stand outside of oneself – the very opposite of being closed up in oneself.
Jacopone, mysticism and psychoanalysis
Why would psychoanalysts Carlo Brutti and Rita Parlani Brutti organise seminars on the figure of Jacopone da Todi in their Institute? What relationship have they been able to establish between Psychoanalysis and Mysticism?
Resources
Database now published online
Some years ago we began a systematic search for all publications dedicated to Jacopone produced since the beginning of the 20th century. By the end of 2020, we had collected more than 1000 references. These are now available in a searchable database here.
Laudi
Laude LXXXIX. Amor de caritate
In this laude Jacopone expresses the emotions that ecstasy aroused in him and that now, writing the laude, are renewed vividly in his memory. Evelyn Underhill considered it Jacopone's masterpiece, reaching a peak rarely equalled in Italian religious poetry. Other great saints, close to Jacopone in sensitivity and experience, expressed themselves in language strongly echoing the sentiments of this laude.
Laude XC. Sopr’onne lengua, Amore
The opening lines of this laude are the verses of a great poet who, after a life of struggle and pain, had achieved the perfect joy of St Francis and the bliss that Jesus promised to the poor in spirit. Have you ever met a happier person than the one described in these verses? This exhilarating condition is what Edgar Morin describes as “the feeling of fusion with the Absolute”.
Podcast
Claudio Peri has produced a podcast series reviewing various aspects of the life, work and mysticism of Jacopone da Todi. In each issue of this newsletter, we will present two episodes of this podcast, recorded both in Italian and in English.
Episode 7: The Last Battle
Jacopone’s indignation at unfaithfulness within the Church led to excommunication and harsh imprisonment, yet in that dark place he managed to achieve a complete change of mindset. His identification with the crucified Jesus brought him peace, love and an ability to transcend and forgive the injustices done to him.
Episode 8: Sopr’onne lengua Amore (‘Love beyond all telling’}.
The final years of Jacopone's life, after his release from prison, were characterised by peace and joy, founded on the love of Jesus - a "love beyond all telling", as he described it. From this came some of his most beautiful poetry.
Getting to know Jacopone through recommended reading
A major new book on Jacopone has just been published!
Iacopone da Todi : The Power of Mysticism and the Originality of Franciscan Poetry, edited by Matteo Leonardi and Alessandro Vettori and published by Brill (Leiden/Boston), is described as "the first ever collection of essays in English on Iacopone da Todi by a diverse group of international scholars".
Although it is a scholarly, academic volume, this book will be important for all who are interested in Jacopone. We hope to include a more detailed comment on it in the next Newsletter.
