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The final
struggle that sister Angela experiences concerning the school
involves the construction of the arch across Via San Giacomo to
connect two houses that face each other and are divided by the
street itself. In one account that is hand-written by
Marcheselli, we find a narration of events that occurred in a
two-week period, from September 16-30 1736, concerning her
request for, and the acceptance of, the realization of this arch
which extends between the two houses even today. This
document discusses the various aspects of this topic:
On September 16, Mother
Angela "goes all around the city of Assisi" to entrust her
intended goal to the good will of the city officials and
Council members;
On September 21, the day on
which the Council meets, as announced publicly by held in
secret, they vote in favor of the construction of the arch.
(91) They nominee some inspectors to oversee the
construction site.
On September 22, they approve
the site and issue a decress (92) so that the construction
can begin on September 24.
In just a few
days, it is almost completed. In fact, on September 30,
only a few things lack.
It is interesting
to note that, among the city personnel, Lelio Nuti, a nobleman
of Assisi, is the father of two daughters who are Tertiaries
(Third Order members) in Mother Angela's "Pious House":
Perhaps his
presence facilitated the approval of Mother Angela's proposal,
given the difficulties that often arouse in such proceedings.
Let us highlight
the motives that sister Angela gives for the construction of the
arch:
"I would Like to
pull (sic!) from the House, where I live, to the other, which
faces it. That house was bought from Mr. Capitano
Luccatelli for this purpose, so that when our many young girls
come to school, we may carry on this charitable work without any
inconvenience since we teach within the same house where we live
and where many you girls live, and this house is small. It
would be good if we could have some rooms and other things for
them for the school. This arrangement would give less
disturbance to those who live here, for they should be able to
have separate rooms, as is needed, and the students can be more
in the same rooms without any difficulties, for there can be
distractions involved in keeping a school for young secular
girls in the same place where there are residents who are
concerned with the religious life and household commitments....
The arch will be high, and well made, so that it will not be in
the way of the Crosses that are carried in Processions in the
streets. It should not be of a different style than the
rest of the street's architecture. Rather, it should
comply with the Statutory dispositions set out in Book 2, Rbric
39" (94).
The arch is built
to save the life of the Tertiaries as well as the life of the
young girls. By using the arch, the young women could
avoid crossing the street, given that the streets were in
terrible condition at the time. Whoever used them was
subject to catching infections from the many animals that roamed
them undisturbed.
Marcheselli gives
a suggestive and compelling image of Mother Angela in this brief
written account. She is eighty years old, yet she is
moving around the streets of Assisi to know what to do in order
to get a positive response to her request to build the arch.
"She went around, even if she was almost eighty years old, to
all of the houses, all day Saturday and part of Sunday,
September 16" (95).
The first
Sisters' account of this event has a totally different tone to
it. They focus, once again, on the persecuting glares that
some had against sister Angela's activities and her good-natured
response to those persons. (96).
A short time
later, on November 2, 1736, the Foundress dies. Her body
is buried in the tomb of the Third Order in the Chapel of the
Crucifix in the Lower Basicilla of Saint Francis, being carried
there, in a dignified casket, by the Tertiaries of the Santa
Croce Conservatory, a neighboring community. She is buried
where, many years before, she had given herself to God and to
her brothers and sisters, following the example of the Little
Poor Man of Assisi.
90.
See ASFMA, 12. Notes concerned with the arch
connecting to the house that was bought on September 22,
1736.
91.
See SASA, ASCA, Councils and reforms, H. 71, f. 44 v.
92.
See Ibidem, m L. 17, Reforms, sheet added to page 32:
"In the name of God, Amen. On September 22, 1736.
In execution of the concession and resolution taken by the
General Council in response to the request made by the woman
sister Angela del Giglio, Superior of the Venerable
Congregation and Pious House of the Tertiaries. Those
who sign herein, the Illustrious Council Members and
Officials of the City to whom it was given to establish and
carry out what she was requesting, for the construction of
an arch from that Pious House to another that faced it.
The previously mentioned personnel were brought together at
the intended site. They decided that the arch must be
made out of stone or bricks that would correspond to the
second window of the house facing it, where it comes to a
corner that is to as high, from the ground to the light,
between thirteen and a half feet and the connector is to be
nine feet wide including the thickness of the walls, being
seven feet, and so, in that way, they must make and form an
arch that is artistic, and not ugly, and this is what was
decided according to the resolution according to their
jurisdiction, in faith, in Assisi, on this day in the
abovementioned year.
Mazzichi
Gonfaliere and the Cityi Officials Lelio Nuti, Marini
and Bartolomeo Cilleni"
93.
See ASFMA, Book of Investitures, cit., p. 1: p. 2.
94.
Ibidem, f. 46r.
95.
ASFMA, 12. Notes on the arch, cit.
96.
See Ibedim, Historical Highlights, cit. ff. 6-7:
"There was no lack, though, of evil persons opposed to
whatever advantageous resolutions this Servant of the
Lord received. These persons always came to her
and, in exchange, got secret charitable donations, and
the more they grew in anger against her, the more
she came to their help in their needs, and prayed for
them to the Giver of all good things. This was
such that, when she wanted to unite her House with one
facing it, the one where she offered public school
classes for young girls, she was constrained , by those
very persons, even at her decrepit age of nearly eighty
years old, to canvas almost the whole City in just two
days, so as to seek the approval and the support of
Gonfaloniere, the Elders, and the Magistrates, all
members of the Council."
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