Catherine of Siena was a Dominican tertiary, philosopher and theologian. Born in the 14th century, she began having visions of Christ at the age of five or six. At seven, she had decided to devote her life to God. She resisted marriage as a young woman until she was eventually allowed to join the Dominican Order. She was known for helping the sick and poor and launching reform campaigns among the faithful. Catherine even went so far as to become involved in political matters like swaying the loyalties of cities back towards the papal armies. Her writings spread her word further and gained more followers but she also became known for extreme devotion, eventually dying due to her refusal to eat.
In 1461, she was canonised by Pius II and is now one of the two patron saints of Italy.
Siena, her birthplace, still remains the best place to see evidences of her life and works. A fascinating and divisive character, she is a figure that will provide interest for those with no particular devotion or religion affiliation and the pious alike. Find a luxury villa in Siena and you could explore the traces that she has left behind in the city for yourself.
The most intriguing of these traces, perhaps, is her head. Yes, her head! It was separated from her body after her death in Rome when followers wished to return her to Siena. Unable to sneak her full body past guards in Rome, they settled for just her head which they smuggled out of the city.
Her body lies in the cemetery of Santa Maria sopra Minerva near the Pantheon and her head is set in an ornate reliquary in the Basilica San Domenico (also known as Basilica Cateriniana, after the Saint) in Siena. The mummified head and her right thumb, set inside a smaller reliquary nearby, can still be viewed in the church today.
Siena, her birthplace, still remains the best place to see evidences of her life and works. A fascinating and divisive character, she is a figure that will provide interest for those with no particular devotion or religion affiliation and the pious alike. Find a luxury villa in Siena and you could explore the traces that she has left behind in the city for yourself.
The most intriguing of these traces, perhaps, is her head. Yes, her head! It was separated from her body after her death in Rome when followers wished to return her to Siena. Unable to sneak her full body past guards in Rome, they settled for just her head which they smuggled out of the city.
Her body lies in the cemetery of Santa Maria sopra Minerva near the Pantheon and her head is set in an ornate reliquary in the Basilica San Domenico (also known as Basilica Cateriniana, after the Saint) in Siena. The mummified head and her right thumb, set inside a smaller reliquary nearby, can still be viewed in the church today.
The church itself is well worth a visit, begun in the 13th century and enlarged in the Gothic style a century later, it was damaged throughout the Middle Ages and in the 18th century.
However, the vast clean interior with paintings, relics, mosaics and frescoes is less ornate than many Italian churches and has a rather striking impact on the visitor. Catherine's home is located nearby and can also still be visited to this day.
If you have any interest in this saint or in macabre relics and happen to be in Siena, you must find the time to visit Catherine's sites. Any visitor is bound to find them absolutely fascinating!
However, the vast clean interior with paintings, relics, mosaics and frescoes is less ornate than many Italian churches and has a rather striking impact on the visitor. Catherine's home is located nearby and can also still be visited to this day.
If you have any interest in this saint or in macabre relics and happen to be in Siena, you must find the time to visit Catherine's sites. Any visitor is bound to find them absolutely fascinating!
Photo credits
picture 1: Gryffindor / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Cerrigno / CC BY-SA 3.0
picture 1: Gryffindor / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Cerrigno / CC BY-SA 3.0
