Jacopo Passavanti

<P><EM>Jacopo Passavanti: The Mirror of True Penitence</EM> presents a complete English translation of Jacopo Passavanti’s unfinished<EM> summa</EM> on penitence – an essential yet often overlooked work of 14th-century religious thought. Based on his 1354 Lenten sermons at the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, this book organizes and expands Passavanti’s teachings into a structured guide on sin, confession, and repentance, making them accessible beyond the fleeting moment of oral delivery.</P> <P>Written in vernacular Italian rather than Latin, this work reflects the growing importance of Tuscan as a literary and intellectual language, placing Passavanti among the key figures shaping Florence’s cultural evolution. His clear, engaging prose blends medieval Scholasticicism with vivid storytelling, using historical references and familiar <EM>exempla</EM> to illustrate moral teachings.</P> <P>A crucial addition to medieval studies, this translation brings Passavanti’s voice to modern readers, illuminating a pivotal moment in Florence’s spiritual and cultural history.</P>