Identidad de las hospitalarias en la Corona de Aragón (siglos XII-XIII)

Abstract

Hospitaller women achieved both a distinct entity within the institution and also a remarkable autonomy, which manifested through a particular identity. The identity of Hospitaller women gave rise to claims for and deployment of unique functions and activities, the existence of charismatic women who embodied the aforementioned identity and the recognition of specific spaces. There was considerable diversity among communities of Hospitaller sisters in the twelfth and thirteenthcentury Crown of Aragon, in contrast with the more uniform male preceptories. Also, they were more individualized in the institutional context. Hospitaller women expressed their spirituality and achieved social prominence and visibility thanks to the creation or recreation of Hospital identity. Female identity in the Order of Saint John was derived from a combination of issues concerning family, female, spiritual, religious, personal and political identity, and it was shaped by the "personality" of each monastic institution, and adapted itself to some sisters who were outstanding in their leadership.