Late medieval visionary Women's IMPact in early modern Castilian spiritual Tradition

ended

WIMPACT has two main objectives. In the first place, make an exhaustive research gathering the manuscripts and early printed books on/by European Late Medieval Mystic Women (13th-14th cc.) present in Castile in the premodern period (second half 15th c.-early 16th c.) and catalogue them. In the second place, evaluate the impact that those writings had, firstly, in the Castilian religious communities affected by Ximénez Cisneros Observant reform (1492-1517) and, secondly, in the Carmelite reform, accomplished by major literary figures as Teresa de Ávila and Juan de la Cruz (second half 16th c.). The first aim will be achieved by making an in-depth search in catalogues and directly in convent libraries of Castile and other institutions with keep collections related with female monasticism. In doing this, the ER will use his philological expertise combined not only to correctly classify the books, but also to understand them in a specific reception context. The results of this first phase will be accessible by the scientific community by creating an ad hoc open access webpage. The second aim will be achieved by implementing an interdisciplinary methodology which also departs from the comparative philology, but which uses tools of different fields (especially, gender studies, sociology and religious studies) to interpret the impact of those writings had in premodern Castile. The relevance of WIMPACT for Horizon 2020 is twofold: in the first place, it implies a comprehensive, transnational perception of the cultural history of Europe, which crosses traditionally established national and chronologic boundaries. In the second, it studies the empowerment of women, their subsequent influence in the politics of the Castilian court and the role that they had in the Observant reforms undertaken in the period. Consequently, WIMPACT will provide a novel, deeper picture of the importance of the role of women in the development of European history.