La narrazione pubblica come questione privata. La satira sui Cistercensi nel De Nugis Curialium di Walter Map (XII secolo)

The Twelfth century saw the rising of a strong rivalry between monks and clergy. Among the great number of satirical compositions made by secular clerics against the monks, Walter Map’s satirical attack against the Cistercian Order is well renowned. Walter Map was a secular cleric and part of Henry II’s familia regis. During the Twelfth century, the Cistercian Order increased his presence and influence at the borders between the English and the Welsh kingdoms, an area related to Walter Map’s personal interests. In the De Nugis Curialium, Map polemized with the Cistercian Order with a satire in which he combines biblical references with anecdotes derived from his personal experience. Usually, Walter Map’s work is considered by scholars as a courtly divertissement and has earned attention due to its venomous style of writing. Thus, Map’s satirical attack against the White Monks has found a place in studies concerning the satirical production of the Twelfth century. Cultural production had a central role at the Plantagenet court and the courtesans used their operas to promote their own careers. Recognizing the political value of courtly literature, this article proposes a different reading of Map’s satire against the Cistercians, in order to shift their interpretation from the literary to the historical perspective.