Primera visita canónica al Monasterio Santa Catalina de Siena

Obispo Julián de Cortázar, Córdoba 1619

Abstract

Don Julián de Cortázar was the third bishop from Tucumán´s diócese, created in 1570, with see in Santiago del Estero. His predecessor, bishop Fernando Trejo y Sanabria, had authorized in 1613 the foundation of Santa Catalina de Sena’s Monastery, carried out in Cordoba by Leonor de Tejeda and some young women, who had no experience of consecrated life. These origins of ecclesiastical and monastic life in the newly born cities of America, wake up significant interest. Shortly after his arrival, Bishop Cortázar made the canonical Visit to the Monastery (1619), initiating a long tour across his extensive and needy diocese. The article describes this first visit in its historical context and mentions the topics included in the Auto. Given the situation at the time, several questions arose immediately, which the sources report: the nuns´ reaction to the Visit, and their restlessness for the singular origin of the Monastery; the Bishop´s worries about Teresian Rule adopted for Dominican nuns, and the influence of the Order´s friars. This work presents the principal information of agreement with these sources, and tries to throw light on his interpretation, which does not turn out to be easy, but that pave the way for future investigations.