Bianchi, Confraternity of

BIANCHI, CONFRATERNITA dei. — Penitents, dressed in white, widespread in Italy during the last years of the fourteenth century.

At Chieri, recounts the Chronicon parvum Ripaltus, some commoners, weary of the damage caused by Facino Cane in the war between Savoy and Monferrato, went out into the square crying “peace and mercy,” and scourging themselves until they bled as a sign of penance. Thus began the popular religious movement of the “flagellants,” called B., which passed through the various regions and cities of Italy in 1399. Over their usual clothing they wore linen garments reaching to their feet. Their heads and faces were covered by a hood with two openings for the eyes; a red cross stood out on the head and chest; a cord belt tightened around their waists. Proceeding in procession two or three abreast, they carried lighted candles in their hands and struck themselves vigorously with a whip while singing laude and asking forgiveness for their sins.

The hymns, of little literary value, were composed for the occasion or taken from a repertoire or laudario of pre-existing confraternities. In a miniature in the manuscript chronicle of G. Sercambi there is a printed reproduction of the official lauda, a sorrowful song, Misericordia, eterno Dio.

When the B. passed by, the people joined them en masse, and together with the commoners so did the ecclesiastical and civil authorities (such as the b. Giovanni Dominici in Venice, Archbishop Fieschi in Genoa, the Marquis Niccolò d’Este in Ferrara, Carlo Malatesta and Carlo Gonzaga in Rimini). Renewal of spirits and customs was expected and hoped for from the B. Boniface IX, at first distrustful, was later drawn by the pilgrims’ piety and by the Sutri (v.), favored them and himself took part in the processions. After traversing all of Italy, without however crossing its borders, the B. died out because of the plague of 1400. Their chief achievement was to restore peace among the discordant cities.