Dolcino (2)

Dolcino leader of the Apostolici (q.v.), was born in the diocese of Novara. He was the son of a priest, joined the Apostolici in 1291, and became their leader in 1300, after the death of Segareile. On behalf of his sect he wrote three works, of which the third is entirely lost, but of the first two there are some extracts in the Additamentum ad Historiam Dulcini. The first was written in 1300, at Dalmatia, and is addressed to the scattered members of the sect: as well as to all Christians. He distinguishes four stages, status, in the development of the divine life on earth. The first begins with the patriarchs, the second with Christ and his apostles, the third with pope Silvester and the emperor Constantine the Great, and the fourth with Segarelle and himself. Each stage was good in itself, but degeneration called forth a new one, for the better. The fourth stage was to last to the end of the world. Dolcino also made some predictions, which proved a failure, yet in spite of this the people did not lose confidence in him. There are, indeed, in his works both true religions enthusiasm and a sharp sense of the corruption of the Church; but both are blurred by the whims of a sensuous and ill- regulated imagination. Dante (Inferno, 28:55 sq.) puts him on the same level with Mohammed. See Historia Dulcini and Additamentum, in Muratori, Script. Reiruin Ital. 9:425 sq.; Mosheim, Geschichte des Apostelordens, in his Ketzergeschichte (Helmstadt, 1748), page 193 sq.; Schlosser, Ablard und Dulcin (Gotha, 1807); Baggiolini, Dolcino e i Patareni (Novara, 1838); Krone, Fra Dolcino und die Patarener (Leipsic, 1844); Dollinger, Der Weissagungsglaube und dos Prophetenthum in der christlichen Zeit, in Riehl's Histor. Taschenbuch, 1871; Schmidt, in Plitt- Herzog, Real-Encyklop. s.v.; Lichtenberger, Encyclopedie des Sciences Religienses, s.v. (B.P.)