Document Type
Article
Department
History (Pomona)
Publication Date
1-1-2008
Keywords
Tenant farmers, Sanctification, Christian patron saints-Spain, Christian hagiograph
Abstract
This anonymous Life of Isidro of Madrid (d. pre-1192) represents a rare medieval effort to justify the sanctification of a non-noble layman, in this case, a tenant farmer. Note how the author does this, in part, by depicting Isidro as a man who made a virtue out of the curse inflicted on Adam ("You will earn your bread from the labor of your hands and the sweat of your brow," Genesis 3:19) by embracing the life of an agricultural laborer. Isidro was canonized in 1622, along with Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Ávila, and Philip Neri. Shortly thereafter, Isidro became the patron saint of Madrid.
Rights Information
© 2008 Kenneth Baxter Wolf
Terms of Use & License Information
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Wolf, Kenneth B. "The life of San Isidro of Madrid." Medieval Texts in Translation, 2008. Web. 22 May 2009. canilup.googlepages.com.
Comments
Previously linked to as: http://ccdl.libraries.claremont.edu/u?/irw,324