St Clare’s Day & the Minoresses of St. Clare August 11th

Today is the Feast day of St Clare of Assisi.  An area of the City of London, called the Minories, is still to this day named after the Abbey of the Minoresses of St. Clare without Aldgate. This was was founded in 1294. The Abbey was part of the Order of St Clare or the Poor Clares as they were known . A minoress was a nun from the Order of Friars Minor (aka Franciscans) .who were also known as the Minoresses of St Clare.

Clare Sciffi was born in Assisi to a rich family. On Palm Sunday, 20 March 1212 Clare left her house, after refusing offers of an advantageous marriage. She had been inspired by hearing St Francis the founder of the Franciscan Monks who was also from Assisi. St Francis facilitated her transfer to Benedictine Nunneries. Her sisters followed her, one renamed Agnes became an Abbess and eventually a saint in her own right. Her family tried repeatedly to take her back into secular life. Eventually, they gave in – apparently when they saw that she had cut her flowing locks off and donned a plain robe.

A small nunnery was set up for them next to the church of San Damiano. More women joined, and they became known as the “Poor Ladies of San Damiano”. They undertook to live impoverished, and secluded.

The Franciscan friars were an itinerant order where the Friars preached to the people and were supported by begging. But this was not possible for women at that time so they lived a simple life of labour and prayer.:

‘The nuns went barefoot, slept on the ground, ate no meat, and observed almost complete silence.’ Wikipedia

Here is a site that gives information about the new Museum that will be established on the site of the Poor Clares. It also gives an outline history of the site.

https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/new-museum-to-show-archaeology-from-the-abbey-of-st-clare-70048/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email

The following link explores the illustrious noble women who choose to be buried in the Minories. It shows how important the Poor Clares were considered to be. It was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539.

The Abbey of the Minoresses of St Clare without Aldgate and the Ladies of the Minories

To read about the nearby Roman Bastion at Crosswall see my post here: