Carmel in Medieval Catalonia. The Medieval Mediterranean, 23, 1999, 202 p., 4 ill., 1 cart. -

This volume traces the development of Carmelite foundations in Medieval Catalonia and shows how they reflected the dichotomy between the Order's eremitical origins and the active mendicant apostolate in which it was engaged. In discussing Carmelite life in an urban setting, mention is made of secular involvement with its positive and negative effects, popular piety and miraculous sightings and outstanding intellectual achievement. The conclusion raises the question that Carmelite friars might have migrated to Europe at an earlier date than traditionally suggested; similarly, that the inaccurate foundation document for Peralada dated 1206 was a fourteenth-century falsification. The appendices provide supplementary material: archival documents, names of priors, royal chaplains, students and graduates and finally an alphabetical list of known medieval Catalan Carmelites. A bibliography and index complete the volume.