Douceline of Digne ( 1215/1216 – 1274) was the founder of the Beguines of

Marseilles Marseille (; ; see below) is a city in southern France, the prefecture of the department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the Provence region, it is located on the coast of the Mediterranean S ...

and the subject of a vita that survives today, ''The Life of Douceline de Digne''.

Life

Douceline was born shortly after the death of Mary of Oignies, in 1215 or 1216, to a wealthy family, likely in the town of Digne in

Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...

, in the

south of France Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...

. Her father, a wealthy

merchant A merchant is a person who trades in goods produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Merchants have been known for as long as humans have engaged in trade and commerce. Merchants and merchant networks operated i ...

called Bérenguier (or Bérenger), was from Digne and her mother, Hugue, was from Barjols where the family lived when Douceline was a child. When her mother died around 1230, Douceline moved to Hyères with her father, probably to be closer to her brother Hugh who was a member of the town’s

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

. Hugh was to become a well-known

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

and

preacher A preacher is a person who delivers sermons or homilies on religious topics to an assembly of people. Less common are preachers who Open-air preaching, preach on the street, or those whose message is not necessarily religious, but who preach com ...

and was to have a significant role in assisting Douceline. A second brother died young leaving two daughters, Douceline and Marie, who later followed their aunt’s ways of life. After a very pious childhood and teenage years which were devoted to the care of the poor and sick in her father’s house, she experienced a “conversion” at the age of 20 and, several years afterwards, took vows before her brother Hugh and established her first

beguine The Beguines () and the Beghards () were Christianity, Christian laity, lay religious orders that were active in Western Europe, particularly in the Low Countries, in the 13th–16th centuries. Their members lived in monasticism, semi-monastic ...

community near the Roubaud River on the edge of the town of Hyères (c. 1241). She subsequently founded a second house in the town of Hyères itself, closer to the

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

, whose church she and her ladies attended. Then, around 1250, she established another community on the outskirts of

. Douceline lived in the

house and continued as leader of the communities in both towns until her death in 1274. She was the focus of an intense

cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...

after her death.

''The Life of Douceline de Digne''

''La vida de la benaurada sancta Doucelina'' has survived in a single, unique

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...

, which is now housed in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, fonds français 13503. Joseph Hyacinthe Albanès translated the work into French in 1879; an English translation was made in 2001. ''The Life of Douceline de Digne'' introduces a 13th-century woman mystic of great significance in the study of female

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...

in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. The'' Life'' was probably written by Philippa de Porcellet, a member of Douceline's community in

References

Bibliography

* Abbé J.-H. Albanès, ''La Vie de sainte Douceline, fondatrice des Béguines de Marseille, composée au treizième siècle en langue provençale. Publiée pour la première fois, avec la traduction en français et une introduction critique et historique'', (Marseille, Camoin, 1879) {{Authority control Beguines and Beghards 13th-century French women 1210s births 1274 deaths