The Turning Point in the Question of Pulchrum: Thomas Aquinas and Early Franciscanism

This article aims to examine the transformations of the concept of pulchrum that took place in the thirteenth century between Thomism and early Franciscan thought. Specifically, it explores and compares the theme of “pulchra enim dicuntur quae visa placent”, introduced by Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologiae, and the theme of “creatural” beauty, introduced by Francis of Assisi and then taken up above all by Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, identifying these as pivotal moments of transition in the medieval discourse on the pulchrum.