Ludovico Barbo,

O.S.B. The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, they ...

(1381–1443), also referred to as Luigi Barbo, was a significant figure in the movement to reform

monastic Monasticism (; ), also called monachism or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual activities. Monastic life plays an important role in many Christian churches, especially ...

life in northern Italy during the 15th century. Originally a

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

of the community which became the

Canons Regular of San Giorgio in Alga The Canons Regular of San Giorgio in Alga (''Congregatio Canonicorum Sancti Georgii in Alga Venetiarum'') were a congregation of canons regular which was influential in the reform movement of monastic life in northern Italy during the 15th and 16th ...

, he died a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

Catholic encyclopedia
/ref> and

Bishop of Treviso The Diocese of Treviso () is Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Veneto, Italy. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Patriarchate of Venice. History Treviso pr ...

(1437–1443). ''(in Latin)''

Biography

A young nobleman (born into the

Barbo family The Barbo () were Venetian patrician family prominent between the 14th and 16th centuries.Pietro Bosmin"Barbo" ''Enciclopedia Italiana'' (Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, 1930). One branch, the Barbo von Waxenstein, settled in the Duchy of Ca ...

) of the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

, in 1397 Barbo received as a

benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...

the position of

commendatory prior In canon law, commenda (or ''in commendam'') was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice ''in trust'' to the ''custody'' of a patron. The phrase ''in commendam'' was originally applied to the provisional occupation of an ecclesiastical ...

of a monastery of

Augustinian friars The Order of Saint Augustine (), abbreviated OSA, is a mendicant religious order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who were following the Rule of Saint Augustine ...

on the isolated island of

San Giorgio in Alga San Giorgio in Alga (English: "St. George in the seaweed") is an island of the Venetian lagoon, northern Italy, lying between the Giudecca and Fusina (a ''frazione'' of Venice on the coast, near Marghera). History After a Benedictine monastery ...

. During that period he was influenced by the preaching of an itinerant

canon regular The Canons Regular of St. Augustine are Catholic priests who live in community under a rule ( and κανών, ''kanon'', in Greek) and are generally organised into religious orders, differing from both secular canons and other forms of religiou ...

, Bernardo of Rome, who was promoting the new form of spirituality known as the ''

Devotio Moderna Devotio Moderna (Latin; lit., Modern Devotion) was a movement for religious reform, calling for apostolic renewal through the rediscovery of genuine pious practices such as humility, obedience, simplicity of life, and integration into the communit ...

'', which had developed in the

Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...

. Through his brother, Francesco, he was made aware of two cousins, Antonio Correr and Gabriele Condulmer (later to become

Pope Eugene IV Pope Eugene IV (; ; 1383 – 23 February 1447), born Gabriele Condulmer, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 March 1431 to his death, in February 1447. Condulmer was a Republic of Venice, Venetian, and a nephew ...

), also disciples of Bartolomeo, who were following a way of life patterned on that of the

Brothers of the Common Life A brother (: brothers or brethren) is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly ...

. Inspired by their manner of life, in 1404 he gave the nearly derelict monastery to them, and soon both he and his brother joined the community, which also counted the later saint,

Lawrence Giustiniani Lawrence Justinian (, 1 July 1381 – 8 January 1456) was a Venetian Catholic priest and bishop who became the first Patriarch of Venice. He is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. Biography Lawrence Justinian was a member of the well-k ...

. On 30 November of that year, the new monastery had grown to 17 members, all members of the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, and received the formal approval of

Pope Boniface IX Pope Boniface IX (; ; c. 1350 – 1 October 1404, born Pietro Tomacelli) was head of the Catholic Church from 2 November 1389 to his death, in October 1404. He was the second Roman pope during the Western Schism.Richard P. McBrien, ''Lives of t ...

. Though primarily following the life of an

enclosed religious order Enclosed religious orders are religious orders whose members strictly separate themselves from the affairs of the external world. The term ''cloistered'' is synonymous with ''enclosed''. In the Catholic Church, enclosure is regulated by the cod ...

, the canons of the monastery successfully observed the life of the cloister without professing

religious vows Religious vows are the public vows made by the members of religious communities pertaining to their conduct, practices, and views. In the Buddhist tradition, in particular within the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, many different kinds of r ...

and also served in a limited form of

Christian ministry Christian ministry is the vocational work of living and teaching about faith, in the hopes of increasing the population of God's people done by the church, church officials, congregational members, and Jesus followers. The '' Cyclopedia of Bib ...

to the people of the Republic. The success of the community led to the adoption of its format by communities of canons around the region, leading to the formation of a new

congregation Congregation may refer to: Religion *Church (congregation), a religious organization that meets in a particular location *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administrative body of the Catholic Church *Religious congregation, a type of religious instit ...

of canons, presided over by San Giorgio. Along with Giustiniani, who had become the head of the

Priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...

of St. Augustine in

Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; or , archaically ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, where it straddles the Bacchiglione, River Bacchiglione. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and e ...

, Barbo was tasked to reform the clergy and monastic institutions in Italy. Both men saw methodical prayer and

Christian meditation Christian meditation is a form of prayer in which a structured attempt is made to become aware of and reflect upon the revelations of God. The word meditation comes from the Latin word ''meditārī'', which has a range of meanings including to re ...

as essential tools for reform. As part of this program, in 1408

Pope Gregory XII Pope Gregory XII (; ; – 18 October 1417), born Angelo Corraro, Corario," or Correr, was head of the Catholic Church from 30 November 1406 to 4 July 1415. Reigning during the Western Schism, he was opposed by the Avignon claimant Benedi ...

appointed him the abbot of the

Abbey of Santa Giustina The Abbey of Santa Giustina is a 10th-century Benedictine abbey complex located in front of the Prato della Valle in central Padua, region of Veneto, Italy. Adjacent to the former monastery is the basilica church of Santa Giustina, initially bui ...

Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...

, where he became a Benedictine monk, and with the help of three canons from San Giorgio di Alga worked to reform the life of the monastic community. Despite his relatively young age of 27, Barbo was successful in his efforts, and the abbey flourished to such a degree that it too became the center of a congregation of monasteries following its form of life. One of Barbo's reforms was to allow his monks to sleep in separate cells, a reform that is regarded as an important step towards enhancing spirituality by providing them with more solitude. Many of the reforms which Barbo instituted were quickly adopted in other monasteries. At the time of his death he had reformed 16 monasteries, including the one at the

Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls The Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls (, ) is one of Rome's four major papal basilicas, along with the basilicas of Saint John in the Lateran, Saint Peter's, and Saint Mary Major, as well as one of the city’s Seven Pilgrim Ch ...

in Rome.

References

External links

* Ildefonso Tassi
Ludovico Barbo
1952, (Italian). {{DEFAULTSORT:Barbo, Ludovico 1381 births 1443 deaths 15th-century Venetian people Augustinian canons Italian Benedictines Benedictine abbots

Ludovico Ludovico () is an Italian masculine given name. It is sometimes spelled Lodovico. The feminine equivalent is Ludovica. Persons with the name Ludovico Given name * Ludovico D'Aragona (1876–1961), Italian socialist politician * Ludovico Arios ...

15th-century Italian Roman Catholic bishops Bishops appointed by Pope Eugene IV Benedictine bishops Republic of Venice clergy 15th-century Christian abbots

Biography

See also

References

External links