The Establishment of Franciscan Observant Custodians and Relations with the Provincial Administrations and the General of the Order until 1517

Abstract

The history of the Franciscan Observance in the late Middle Ages is a story of renewal, conflict, and eventual institutional recognition. From the late fourteenth century onwards, reform-minded friars began to organize communities that sought a stricter adherence to the Rule of St Francis, especially regarding poverty and communal life. These reform groups, which gradually became known as the Observants, developed distinctive organizational structures within the broader framework of the Franciscan Order. Central to their growth was the establishment of Custodiae—juridical units grouping together Observant convents—whose relationship with the provincial ministers and the minister general remained contested until the definitive settlement of 1517.