The Death of Thomas of Tolentino and His Companions (Thane, 1321)
A new interpretation
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Copyright (c) 2025 Francesco Carta
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63277/2385-1341/4336Abstract
Abstract in English
On April 19, 1321, the Franciscan friars Thomas of Tolentino, Demetrius of Tbilisi, and James of Padua were killed in the Indian city of Thane, which had been conquered by the Muslims only three years earlier. Two days later, their companion Peter of Siena met the same fate. After a brief bibliographical overview of the topic, the essay presents a concise and organized account of the sources that help reconstruct the story of the four friars. Then, it offers a reconstruction of the key stages of their martyrdom, ultimately proposing a particular interpretation of their death – one modeled on the prescriptions of Chapter XVI of the Earlier Rule (1221), which had been “rediscovered”between the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries by Angelo Clareno and the Spiritual friars.
Abstract in italiano
Il 19 aprile 1321 i frati Minori Tommaso da Tolentino, Demetrio da Tblisi e Giacomo da Padova vennero uccisi nella città indiana di Thane, conquistata solo tre anni prima dai musulmani. Due giorni dopo fu la volta del loro compagno Pietro da Siena. L’articolo, dopo una breve panoramica bibliografica sul tema, presenta un quadro sintetico e ordinato delle fonti che aiutano a ricostruire la vicenda dei quattro frati. In seguito, offre una ricostruzione delle tappe salienti del loro martirio per proporre, infine, un’interpretazione particolare della loro morte che sarebbe stata esemplata sulle prescrizioni del capitolo XVI della Regola non bollata (1221), “riscoperta” tra la fine del XIII e l’inizio del XIV secolo da Angelo Clareno e dai frati “spirituali”.
