Un raro schema d’impianto cistercense: il ‘transetto chiuso’ e le chiese florensi

This paper examines the planimetric layouts of a group of churches commissioned by the Florensian Order. An analysis of the invariants in Joachimite abbey churches reveals the consistent adoption of the ‘closed transept’ layout in at least the three most significant foundations of the order: the proto-monastery of Jure Vetere, the abbey church of Santa Maria di Fontelaurato, and the motherhouse of San Giovanni in Fiore. Previous scholarship had observed the originality of this scheme, proposing a limited connection to certain buildings of the Norman period. However, the comparative study presented here identifies a striking similarity to a group of Cistercian abbey churches, which have not been previously considered in connection with these case studies. The non-exclusive association of the ‘closed transept’ layout with the Order of Joachim of Fiore and its derivation from the Cistercian context has thus offered deeper insight into Florensian architecture within the wider architectural framework of the 13th century, especially concerning its connections with Benedictine-derived orders and the newly emerging mendicant orders.