Франческ Эйшименис: каталонский философ и мыслитель XIV века

Catalan philosopher

Francesc Eiximenis (; died 1409) was a Franciscan Catalan writer who lived in the 14th century Crown of Aragon. He was possibly one of the more successful medieval Catalan writers since his works were widely read, copied, published and translated. Therefore, it can be said that both in the literary and in the political sphere he had a lot of influence. Among his readers were numbered important people of his time, such as the kings of the Crown of Aragon Peter IV, John I and Martin I, the queen Maria de Luna (wife of Martin I), and the Pope of Avignon Benedict XIII.

Francesc Eiximenis was born around 1330, possibly in Girona. When he was very young, he became a Franciscan and his education began in the Franciscan schools of Catalonia. Later, he attended the most important universities of Europe: the University of Oxford and the University of Paris. The University of Oxford influenced him notably, since the Franciscans had there an important school. Thus, several English Franciscans (and British authors in general) are the thinkers who most influenced Eiximenis, such as Robert Grosseteste (whom Eiximenis calls Linconiensis, since he was bishop of Lincoln), John of Wales, Richard Kilvington, Alexander of Hales, Richard of Middleton, Thomas Bradwardine, William of Ockham, and John Duns Scotus. In 1371 there was an attempt to bring him to the University of Lleida as a teacher. But he lacked the title of Doctor in Theology (magister in sacra pagina), and so this attempt did not go further. Eiximenis acquired this title in 1374 at the University of Toulouse, with the financial help and support of the king Peter IV. Eiximenis subsequently returned to the Principality of Catalonia, where he was considered very intellectual. He was on good terms with the Court of the Crown of Aragon and with the ruling social class of Barcelona and València. Most of his works were written in Valencia, where he stayed from 1382 to 1408. There he was consultant of the jurats (the city representatives) and of the Consell (ruling organ of the city). In Valencia, Eiximenis' activity, besides his literary tasks, was tireless. The year 1391 was a very difficult one for the city and Kingdom of Valencia, since there were many social problems. Then Eiximenis organized a kind of "praying army" in some monasteries and convents around Valencia. In 1392 he and other people received the assignment of checking the Jewish books that were stolen during the 1391 pogrom. At the end of 1397 he was a member of a commission that would advise king Martin I about the Western Schism. In 1397 and 1398 he undertook the organization of two crusades of Valencians and Majorcans against the Muslim pirates of North Africa. In 1399 Eiximenis was also president of a commission that sought to unify all the schools of Valencia. The Consell (ruling organ of Valencia) rejected that in 1400, but this attempt was anyway a clear first step towards the University of Valencia, that was founded officially in 1499. The last years of Eiximenis in Valencia (1404–1408) were devoted to the foundation and endowment of the Franciscan convent of Sant Esperit (in Gilet, near Sagunto). This convent was founded by the queen Maria de Luna. In 1408 Eiximenis took part in the Council of Perpignan. There the Pope of Avignon Benedict XIII appointed him first Patriarch of Jerusalem and later apostolic administrator (interim bishop) of the diocese of Elna (ancient name of the diocese of Perpignan). Eiximenis died in Perpignan, then in the Principality of Catalonia, possibly on 23 April 1409.

"Dotzè Llibre del Crestià. Part 1, Volum 1", Girona, Universitat, 2005, lxvii + 619 pp. (OFE, 1). Ed. by Xavier Renedo, Sadurní Martí et al. "Dotzè Llibre del Crestià. Part 2, Volum 1", Girona, Universitat, 1986, xxxviii+ 518 pp. (OFE, 3). Ed. by Curt Wittlin et al. "Dotzè Llibre del Crestià. Part 2, Volum 2", Girona, Universitat, 1987, 649 pp. (OFE, 4) Ed. by Curt Wittlin et al.

Lo Llibre de les Dones (Barcelona, Curial, 1981. Ed. by Curt Wittlin. De Sant Miquel Arcàngel (5è tractat del Llibre dels Àngels. Barcelona, Curial, 1983. Ed. by Curt Wittlin. Psalterium alias Laudatorium (Toronto, PIMS, 1988. Ed. by Curt Wittlin. Àngels e demonis (Quart tractat del Llibre dels Àngels). Barcelona, Quaderns Crema, 2003. Ed. by Sadurní Martí.

Llibres, mestres i sermons. Antologia de textos. Barcelona, Barcino, 2005. Ed. by David Guixeras and Xavier Renedo, 268 pp. "Francesc Eiximenis. An Anthology. Barcelona/Woodbridge: Barcino/Tamesis, 2008. Transl. by Robert Hughes.

First half (chapters 1 523) of the Terç del Crestià (BNC, ms. 457). Llibre dels Àngels (University of Barcelona, Fons de reserva, ms. 86). Vida de Jesucrist (BNC, mss. 459 460). Scala Dei (University of Barcelona, Fons de reserva, ms. 88).

Primer del Crestià (Valencia, Lambert Palmart, 1483). First half (chapters 1 473) of the Dotzè del Crestià (Valencia, Lambert Palmart, 1484). Regiment de la cosa pública, (Valencia, Cristòfor Cofman, 1499). Llibre dels àngels, (Barcelona, Joan Rosembach, 1494). Llibre de les Dones, (Barcelona, Joan Rosembach, 1495). Translation into Spanish of the Vida de Jesucrist, (Granada, Meinard Ungut and Johannes Pegnitzer, 1496). Translation into Spanish of the Llibre dels àngels (The title is Libro de los santos ángeles. Burgos, Fadrique de Basilea, 1490). Pastorale (Barcelona, Pere Posa, 1495). Scala Dei (Barcelona, Diego de Gumiel, 1494). Translation into French of the Llibre dels Àngels (Geneva, Adam Steinschaber, 1478). Translation into French of the Llibre dels Àngels (Lyon, Guillaume Le Roy, 1486).

Translation into Spanish of the Llibre dels Àngels (The title is La Natura Angélica. Alcalá de Henares, Miguel de Eguía, 1527).

Pastorale. Transcript and translation into Catalan. Montserrat Martínez Checa's doctorate thesis (UAB, Bellaterra, 1994). De triplici statu mundi (Edition by Albert Hauf). Summa theologica (Edition by León Amorós, OFM). Autograph letters (15.07.1392 and 12.03.1396. Edition by Sadurní Martí). Psalterium alias Laudatorium (Toronto, PIMS, 1988. Edition by Curt Wittlin). Lo Llibre de les Dones (Barcelona, Curial, 1981. Edition by Curt Wittlin). De Sant Miquel Arcàngel (5th treaty from the Llibre dels Àngels. Barcelona, Curial, 1983. Edition by Curt Wittlin).

Eiximenis' biography in www. eiximenis. tk
Eiximenis' biography in www. eiximenis. tk
Information about Francesc Eiximenis in Narpan. Información sobre Francesc Eiximenis in the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya website. Information about Francesc Eiximenis in the CulturCat website, that depends on the Generalitat de Catalunya. There are also versions available in Spanish, in English, in French and in Occitan
"Francesc Eiximenis" entry in the Enciclopedia Franciscana website. There are many biographical articles about Francesc Eiximenis.

Fray Francisco Eiximenis : Su significación religiosa, filosófico moral, política y social, Tomás Carreras Artau's article in Annals de l'Institut d'Estudis Gironins 1 (1946). Perfil espiritual de Eiximenis Article of the Capuchin friar Nolasc del Molar in Revista de Girona 22 (1963). L’autocomprensione della comunità politica in Francesc Eiximenis, Paolo Evangelisti's article, in Enrahonar 42 (2009). Orígenes del pactismo republicano, Article about Francesc Eiximenis from Salvador Giner (President of the Institute of Catalan Studies), in El País (13.01.2010).

Lluís Brines' doctorate thesis about Eiximenis' political and social thought (2004). Francesc Eiximenis' documented biography by Lluís Brines (2018).