«Beati i poveri in spirito» (Mt 5,3). I santi carmelitani e la povertà

Abstract

Religious poverty, above all during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, was at the centre of numerous discussions within the  Church causing great controversy, theological disputes and practical consequences. This article, by means of analysis of legendary  stories and other sources relating to the oldest saints of Carmel, studies the way in which the first generations of Carmelites  understood poverty and what models were proposed in this regard.