Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ST CATHERINE OF SIENA
One of the two patron saints of Italy (with St Francis) and one of only three female Doctors of the
Church (with St Teresa of Avilà and St Thérèse of Liseux), St Catherine was born in Siena in 1347,
the 23rd child out of 25. Like a true prodigy, she had a religious fixation at a very early age. She is
said to have entertained plans to impersonate a man so she could be a Dominican friar and occasion-
ally raced out to the road to kiss the place where Dominicans had walked.
At the age of seven, Catherine consecrated her virginity to Christ, much to her family's despair. At
18 she assumed the life of a Dominican Tertiary (lay affiliate) and lived as a recluse in the family's
basement, focusing her attention on devotion and spiritual ecstasy. She was noted for her ability to fast
for extended periods, living only on the Blessed Sacrament, which, as nutritionists might attest, prob-
ably contributed to a delirium or two. Catherine described one such episode as a 'mystical marriage'
with Jesus. Feeling a surge of humanity, she emerged from her cloistered path and began caring for the
sick and poor at the Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala.
Another series of visions - this time set in Hell, Purgatory and Heaven - compelled Catherine to
take her work to the next level and she began an ambitious and fearless letter-writing campaign to all
variety of influential people, including lengthy correspondence with Pope Gregory XI. She beseeched
royalty and religious leaders for everything from peace between Italy's republics to reform within the
clergy. This go-getting, early form of activism was considered highly unusual for a woman at the time
and her no-holds-barred style, sometimes scolding cardinals and queens like naughty children, was
gutsy by any standard. And yet, rather than being persecuted for her insolence, she was admired, her
powers of persuasion often winning the day where so many others had failed. She is said to have ex-
perienced the stigmata, but this event was suppressed as it was considered bad form at the time to as-
sociate the stigmata with anyone but St Francis.
Acting as an ambassador to Florence, Catherine went to Avignon and was able to convince Gregory
XI to bring the papacy back to Rome after a 73-year reign in France. A few years later she was invited
to Rome by newly elected Pope Urban VI to campaign on his behalf during the pope/anti-pope
struggle (the Great Western Schism), where she did her best to undo the effects that his temper and
shortcomings were having on Rome. This heroic, utterly exhausting effort likely contributed to her un-
timely death in 1380 at the age of 33.
Catherine's abundant post-mortem accolades started relatively soon after her death, when Pope Pius
II canonised her in 1461. More recently, Pope Paul VI bestowed Catherine with the title of Doctor of
the Church in 1970 and Pope John Paul II made her one of Europe's patron saints in 1999. She is also
one of the three patron saints of Siena (the others being Saints Ansanas and Ambrose).
For information about guided and self-guided walking tours of St Catherine's Siena, go to
Festivals & Events
The Accademia Musicale Chigiana presents three highly regarded series of concerts fea-
turing classical musicians from around the world:
Micat in Vertice
from November to April,
Settimana Musicale Senese
in July and
Estate Musicale Chigiana
in July and August. Venues in-
clude the Teatro dei Rinnovati in the Campo, Teatro dei Rozzi in Piazza Indipendenza,
