JOACHIM OF FIORE

I. The Oratory of St. Mary, the Holy Mother of God, and of Jerusalem the Holy. The Dove. The Seat of God. The Spirit of Counsel. The Nose.

This house will be the mother of all and in it will be the Spiritual Father who will govern all. All will obey his direction and will. The brothers of this house will live according to order in all things so that the example of their patience and sobriety may be able to inform the others. In fasting let them follow the Cistercian model. At the will of the Spiritual Father who will live in that house the brethren of the lower orders can pass to the stricter life. . .

II. The Oratory of St. John the Evangelist and all the Virgin Saints. The Eagle. The Spirit of Wisdom. The Eye.

In this oratory there will be approved and perfect men who aflame with spiritual longing wish to lead a contemplative life. They will have individual cells to which they may quickly retire when they wish to pray. These cells will not be where each one might wish, but near the cloister according to the arrangement and will of the Spiritual Father who is over all.

Ill. The Oratory of St. Paul and all the Holy Doctors. The Man. The Spirit of Understanding. The Ear.

In this oratory there will be learned men as well as those who are being taught and are teachable in divine things. These are men who both desire and are able to devote themselves to reading and to spiritual teaching more than the rest. .

IV. The Oratory of St. Stephen and all the Holy Martyrs. The Calf. The Spirit of Knowledge. The Mouth.

In this oratory will be those brethren who are strong in manual labor, but who are not able to grow in spiritual discipline as much as is required.

V. The Oratory of St. Peter and all the Holy Apostles. The Lion. The Spirit of Fortitude. The Hand.

In this oratory will live the elderly and delicate brothers who, possibly because of weak stomachs, are not able to bear the full austerity of the Rule in fasting.

Between this monastery and the place of the clerics there ought to be a distance of about three miles.

VI. The Oratory of St. John the Baptist and of all the Holy Prophets. The Dog. The Spirit of Piety. The Foot.

In this oratory will be gathered priests and clerics who wish to live a chaste and common life, but not to abstain completely from the eating of meat and warm clothing. . . . They will obey their prior according to the direction and will of the Spiritual Father who is over all .

Between these two oratories there ought to be a distance of about three stadia.

VII. The Oratory of St. Abraham the Patriarch and of all the Holy Patriarchs. The Sheep. The Spirit of Fear. The Body.

Under the name of this oratory will be assembled the married with their sons and daughters in a common form of life. They sleep with their wives for the sake of procreation rather than for pleasure. At assigned times and days they will abstain from them by consent in order to be free to pray (1 Cor. 7:5), taking into consideration the constitution and age of the youths lest they be tempted by Satan. They will have their own homes and guard themselves against every accusation. Their food and clothing will be in common, and they will obey the Master according to the direction and will of the Spiritual Father whom all these orders will obey as a new ark of Noah perfected to the cubit. . . . Let there be no idle among these Christians, those who do not work for their bread, so that each may have that from which to provide something for those who are in need. Each one shall work at his own craft and the individual trades and artisans shall have their own superiors. Therefore, whoever is able to work and does not is to be compelled by the Master and censured by all. Their food and clothing should be simple as befits Christians. Worldly clothing is not to be found among them nor dyed cloth. Honest and approved women will work wool for the benefit of the poor of Christ, and they will be like mothers of the others, instructing the young women and the girls in the fear of God. They will give tithes to the clerics of all that they possess for the support of the poor and strangers, as well as for students. They should do this so that if they have an abundance and a few of the others do not, according to the will of the Spiritual Father the surplus shall be taken from those who have more and given to those who have less. Thus there may be no one needy among them, but all things held in common possession.

Translated from Tondelli, Reeves, and Hirsch-Reich, II Libro delle Figure, plate xii