PAPAL POWER AND NETWORKS OF SOCIABILITY IN THE LETTERS OF SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE XIV CENTURY
Church, Politics, Holiness, Sociability Network.
The present research aims to trace the sociability network developed by Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) in order to try to understand its political performance and especially its relationship with the pontifical power. The temporal cut of this research comprises the life trajectory of Santa Catarina, between 1347 and 1380. The main sources considered for our work are the letters sent by the saint to several key personalities of her society (meanwhile we will also consider, as auxiliary sources, some of hagiographic character). Thus, we will try to understand the means found by Saint Catherine that allowed her to enjoy an important position in society and, especially, with the Catholic Church, in order to actively exercise her influence in the political sphere.