Convent Tale

P. Renée Baernstein is Associate Professor of European History at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and holds degrees from Cornell University and Harvard University.

• List of Illustrations Preface Note on Conventions Chronology Introduction Chapter 1. The Community of San Paolo Converso, 1535-1550 Chapter 2. Crisis of Boundaries, 1550-1552 Chapter 3. Borromeo's Revolution, 1565-1584 Chapter 4. The Rise of the Sfondrati Dynasty, 1565-1590 Chapter 5. A Second Jerusalem, 1590-1535 Epilogue Sources and Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index

"A vivid and fascinating story of a tumultuous century, a Catholic society, a contentious religious order, and an ambitious family dynasty, A Convent Tale is an exemplary history of religion and society in early modern Europe." -- R Po-chia Hsia, Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of History, Pennsylvania State University"Founded as an experimental community of active, missionary women, Milan's Angelic convent eventually became something strikingly different--a cloistered bastion of gendered reform. Full of strong characters, AConvent Tale is a beautifully written book about this complex transformation." -- Kathryn Burns, author of Colonial Habits"Recounting the turbulent history of the Angelic convent of San Paolo, A Convent Tale is boldly revisionist and a major contribution to Counter-reformation history. Richly documented, and written with passion and verve, this important book is a must-read for students of the church, Italy, and women." -- Richard L. Kagan, author of Lucrecia's Dreams"[A] wonderful new monograph...which charts the development of the Milanese convent San Paolo from its establishment in 1535 through the tumultuous decadesof the Counter-Reformation...A Convent Tale with its beautiful writing and thick descriptions, brings to life the world these nuns inhabited." -- Sixteenth CenturyJournal