Jordan of Giano ( la, Iordanus de Iano; 1195 – after 1262) was an Italian
Minorite
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
from
Giano in the
Valley of Spoleto.
Jordanus joined the
Franciscans
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
around 1220. A few years later he was sent to
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
with a group under
Caesarius of Speyer, the first Franciscan provincial of Germany. Jordan was first in Salzburg; in June 1222, he was sent to work in the apostolate at Speyer, Worms, and Mainz.
Goldenberg, Dan, "Jordan of Giano", ''Encyclopedia of the Medieval Chronicle'', (Graeme Dunphy, Cristian Bratu, eds.) 2016
/ref>
He was ordained in 1223, and became the guardian at Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...
and the custos of the Franciscan houses in Thuringia
Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million.
Erfurt is the capital and larg ...
in 1225. In 1230 and again in 1238, he was sent to Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
on business relating to his order.[Ott, Michael. "Jordanus of Giano." The Catholic Encyclopedia]
Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 8 January 2020
He attended a chapter of German Franciscans held at Halberstadt
Halberstadt ( Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the capital of Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town center that was greatly destroyed by Allied bombi ...
in 1262. There he dictated the early memoirs of the Franciscans in Germany (''De primitivorum Fratrum in Theutoniam missorum et conversatione et vita'') to a Brother Baldwin of Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...
. The memoirs begin in the year 1207 and are one of the chief sources for Franciscan history in Germany. The only extant manuscript breaks off abruptly at the year 1238.[
]
References
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1195 births
13th-century deaths
Conventual Friars Minor
13th-century German historians
13th-century German Roman Catholic priests
German Franciscans
13th-century Italian Roman Catholic priests
13th-century Italian writers
13th-century Latin writers
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