How to be a Cistercian or an alien. Italian daughters of Clairvaux

The Cistercian abbeys that emerged in Italy during the 12th and 13th centuries played a significant role in the geographical and political expansion of the Order. Their proximity to the Holy See made them particularly important. Although there are numerous monographs available on individual abbeys, there is a complete lack of geographically-based syntheses, such as those that have appeared for Wales, England, Scotland, Pomerania, Normandy, southern France and others. Starting from the organisational feature of the filiation system, which is considered one of the fundamental characteristics of the order, the book aims to dynamically reconstruct the networks of a group of Italian Cistercian abbeys depending on the mother house of Clairvaux and linked together by their common dependence. The research will focus on foundations made in the first half of the 12th century and will cover the period from the 12th to the middle of the 13th century.