Jordanus of Giano

Jordan of Giano (Latin Jordanus de Yano; * to 1195 in Giano ( diocese of Spoleto ); † after 1262 in Magdeburg ) was a medieval religious priest and chronicler of the Order of Franciscans.

Life

We know about Jordan of Giano only what he has written himself in his chronicle. He is probably 1217 or 1218 entered the Minorit. When Matt Chapter at Pentecost 1221 he was sent with 27 other brothers to Germany, there to preach the gospel. The group under the leadership of Caesarius of Speyer broke at the end of September of Trent and reached Augsburg in mid-October. Jordan was sent from there with two brothers to Salzburg. 1222 he traveled via Würzburg, Mainz and Worms, Speyer.

In 1223 he was ordained a priest in Speyer and a little later Guardian of the local convent. After that, he was Guardian in Mainz. From there, the provincial Albert of Pisa sent him to Thuringia. Jordan came in 1224 with seven brothers in Erfurt. It was founded in the area several convents, Jordan Custos was in Thuringia. He traveled twice to Italy at this time. In 1230 he visited his friend Thomas of Celano, and received from him some relics of Saint Francis. In 1238 he traveled to Pope Gregory IX. , To complain about the official leadership of the General Minister Elias of Cortona.

1241 Jordan was Custos of Giano in Bohemia and Poland. In 1262 he was on the provincial chapter in Halberstadt commissioned to write down the evolution of the Order in Germany in the form of a chronicle. For this he dictated Brother Baldwin of Brandenburg his memories. The Chronicle covers the period 1209-1262 and is one of the main sources for the spread of Minorite in Central Europe.

Works

• Chronica fratris Iordani a Iano - German: After Germany and England. The Chronicles of Friars Minor Jordan of Giano and Thomas of Eccleston ( Franciscan source writings Volume 6 ) Werl 1957.
• Dieter Berg, Jordan of Giano. Chronicle, in: Berg, Dieter / Lehmann, Leonard (ed.): Francis sources. The writings of St. Francis, biographies, chronicles and testimonies about him and his Order, Kevelaer 2009, 955-1011.
• John Schlageter (eds. ): The Chronica 's brother Jordan of Giano. Introduction and critical edition after the manuscripts previously known. In: Archivum Franciscanum Historicum 104 (2011) 3-63.