Franciscan poverty: between utopia and reality. The Province of the Holy Trinity by the end of the colony in Chile

Abstract

   The Franciscan Order economic reality, in the Bourbon administration context, is analyzed in order to observe the concept of poverty expressed in the regulations of early seventeenth century. First we present a historiographical balance regarding the interest aroused by the material existence of the Order. Then we focus in the main sources of funding for the eighteenth century, the problems generated by the friar’s secularization and the new economic management adopted by the Order in the early nineteenth century. The Bourbon policy of open predilection towards the secular clergy did not particularly affect the economic development of the Franciscan Order since they added modern form of financing -such as investments- to the traditional ones. As a consequence, they were able to overcome their economic problems and could avoid material poverty.