Tancred Tancredi
Encyclopedia
Tancred Tancredi also called Tancred of Siena, was an Italian
ecclesiastic, a missionary
, one of the first generation of Dominican friars
, and a personal friend of Dominic of Osma. He is often confused with contemporary and fellow Dominican Tancred of Bologna
, since the two of them are impossible to always distinguish in the sources. Tancred has been accredited many conversions
and even miracle
s and by some accounts is beatified.
Tancred was born in Siena
to wealthy parents of the Tancredi clan. They oversaw his extensive education, sending him first to the University of Bologna
and thence to Paris
, where he received his doctorate. He returned from Paris to Siena, where he first heard the preaching of Dominic in the Sienese cathedral. According to later reports, he had a vision of the Virgin Mary standing beside Dominic and after the sermon she approached Tancred and beseeched him to "follow that man; and do not depart from him." In the Hospital of Saint Mary Magdalene Tancred received the habit from Dominic and embarked upon a life of religion.
In an early incident related by Tancred to Jordan of Saxony, Dominic was visiting the prior's church when a young relative of Stephen Orsini, Cardinal Abbot of Fossanova
, was carried past in a litter after falling from a horse. According to Jordan, it was unknown if he was alive or dead, but at the insistence of Tancred, Dominic prayed to God for the boys life and he was miraculously healed. This story was amplified by later retellings. The boy is Napoleon, Stephen's nephew, and Stephen faints upon hearing the news, falling into Dominic's arms. At Tancred's urging, it is Stephen who prays to God and receives a miracle: the boy, dead is brought back to life.
Tancred was probably the prior
of San Sisto Vecchio
in Rome
until it was converted into a Dominican nunnery. He was transferred to Santa Sabina
to continue serving as prior. In 1222, after the death of Dominic the previous year, Tancred left Italy for the Holy Land
as the superior
of a group of friars, appointed by Jordan of Saxony to establish a mission there. Tancred founded several houses in the Latin East
and it is claimed that he won many converts, to Christianity and to mendicancy. Though Tancred did not remain at the head of the Dominicans in the Holy Land, he did remain there until his death in 1241.
The Dominican historian and hagiographer Gregory Lombardelli, wrote the first biography of Tancred, Vita de Tancredo Tancredi. He ascribes to him several works of as yet unpublished literature: commentaries on the Scriptures and on Peter Lombard's
Book of Sentences. These were probably written during the period after his return to Siena and before his entrance into the order.
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
ecclesiastic, a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
, one of the first generation of Dominican friars
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
, and a personal friend of Dominic of Osma. He is often confused with contemporary and fellow Dominican Tancred of Bologna
Tancred of Bologna
Tancred of Bologna or of Germany , commonly just Tancredus, was a Dominican preacher and canonist. He is easily conflated with a contemporary Dominican, Tancred Tancredi, and the two are sometimes indistinguishable in the sources and have been treated as one person, though this is known to be...
, since the two of them are impossible to always distinguish in the sources. Tancred has been accredited many conversions
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
and even miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s and by some accounts is beatified.
Tancred was born in Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
to wealthy parents of the Tancredi clan. They oversaw his extensive education, sending him first to the University of Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
and thence to Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, where he received his doctorate. He returned from Paris to Siena, where he first heard the preaching of Dominic in the Sienese cathedral. According to later reports, he had a vision of the Virgin Mary standing beside Dominic and after the sermon she approached Tancred and beseeched him to "follow that man; and do not depart from him." In the Hospital of Saint Mary Magdalene Tancred received the habit from Dominic and embarked upon a life of religion.
In an early incident related by Tancred to Jordan of Saxony, Dominic was visiting the prior's church when a young relative of Stephen Orsini, Cardinal Abbot of Fossanova
Fossanova Abbey
Fossanova Abbey, earlier Fossa Nuova, is a Cistercian monastery in Italy, in the province of Latina, near the railway-station of Priverno, c. 100 kilometers south-east of Rome....
, was carried past in a litter after falling from a horse. According to Jordan, it was unknown if he was alive or dead, but at the insistence of Tancred, Dominic prayed to God for the boys life and he was miraculously healed. This story was amplified by later retellings. The boy is Napoleon, Stephen's nephew, and Stephen faints upon hearing the news, falling into Dominic's arms. At Tancred's urging, it is Stephen who prays to God and receives a miracle: the boy, dead is brought back to life.
Tancred was probably the prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of San Sisto Vecchio
San Sisto Vecchio
San Sisto Vecchio is a church in Rome, devoted to St. Pope Sixtus II. It was built in the 4th century, and is recorded as the Titulus Crescentianae, thus relating the church to some Crescentia, possibly a Roman woman who founded the church. According to tradition, the church was established by Pope...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
until it was converted into a Dominican nunnery. He was transferred to Santa Sabina
Santa Sabina
The Basilica of Saint Sabina at the Aventine is a titular minor basilica and mother church of the Roman Catholic Dominican order in Rome, Italy. Santa Sabina lies high on the Aventine Hill, beside the Tiber, close to the headquarters of theKnights of Malta....
to continue serving as prior. In 1222, after the death of Dominic the previous year, Tancred left Italy for the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
as the superior
Provincial superior
A Provincial Superior is a major superior of a religious order acting under the order's Superior General and exercising a general supervision over all the members of that order in a territorial division of the order called a province--similar to but not to be confused with an ecclesiastical...
of a group of friars, appointed by Jordan of Saxony to establish a mission there. Tancred founded several houses in the Latin East
Crusader states
The Crusader states were a number of mostly 12th- and 13th-century feudal states created by Western European crusaders in Asia Minor, Greece and the Holy Land , and during the Northern Crusades in the eastern Baltic area...
and it is claimed that he won many converts, to Christianity and to mendicancy. Though Tancred did not remain at the head of the Dominicans in the Holy Land, he did remain there until his death in 1241.
The Dominican historian and hagiographer Gregory Lombardelli, wrote the first biography of Tancred, Vita de Tancredo Tancredi. He ascribes to him several works of as yet unpublished literature: commentaries on the Scriptures and on Peter Lombard's
Peter Lombard
Peter Lombard was a scholastic theologian and bishop and author of Four Books of Sentences, which became the standard textbook of theology, for which he is also known as Magister Sententiarum-Biography:Peter Lombard was born in Lumellogno , in...
Book of Sentences. These were probably written during the period after his return to Siena and before his entrance into the order.