Catherine of Siena Biography

(Italian Mystic, Activist, Author and a Doctor of the Church)

Birthday: March 25, 1347 (Aries)

Born In: Siena, Italy

Catherine of Siena was an author, mystic, and activist from Siena (modern-day Italy), who was associated with the ‘Dominican Order.’ Catherine was born prematurely and needed special attention to grow into a healthy child. Catherine had her first vision of Jesus Christ when she was 5 or 6 years old. By the time she was 7, she had decided that she would devote her life to the service of God. She was supposed to marry at the age of 16, but she strongly protested against it. Upon growing up, she got associated with the ‘Dominican’ tertiary. Soon, she became popular by claiming to have experienced divine miracles such as a mystical marriage and invisible stigmata. She was also known for her influence over Pope Gregory XI, which helped her persuade him to move to Rome. She wrote a set of treaties known as ‘The Dialogue of Divine Providence.’ However, she became more famous among Christians after her death. In 1866, she was declared the patron saint of Rome, and later, of Europe.

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Quick Facts

Italian Celebrities Born In March

Also Known As: Saint Catherine of Siena

Died At Age: 33

Family:

father: Giacomo di Benincasa

mother: Lapa Piagenti

Born Country: Italy

Saints Writers

Died on: April 29, 1380

place of death: Rome, Italy

Grouping of People: Christians

Diseases & Disabilities: Stroke

Cause of Death: Fasting

City: Siena, Italy

  • 1

    What was Catherine of Siena known for?

    Catherine of Siena was known for her mysticism, writings, and her role in the Catholic Church.

  • 2

    How did Catherine of Siena influence the Catholic Church?

    Catherine of Siena played a significant role in persuading Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy from Avignon to Rome, thus strengthening the authority of the Catholic Church.

  • 3

    What is Catherine of Siena's most famous work?

    Catherine of Siena's most famous work is "The Dialogue of Divine Providence," a book that contains her conversations with God.

  • 4

    How did Catherine of Siena become a saint?

    Catherine of Siena was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 1461, recognizing her holiness, piety, and dedication to serving others.

  • 5

    What impact did Catherine of Siena have on women's roles in society?

    Catherine of Siena challenged traditional gender roles by becoming a prominent figure in the male-dominated church hierarchy, inspiring other women to pursue religious and intellectual pursuits.

Childhood & Early Life
Catherine of Siena was born Caterina di Giacomo di Benincasa, on March 25, 1347, in Siena, Republic of Siena (modern-day Italy), to Lapa Piagenti and Giacomo di Benincasa. Her mother had borne 22 children before her birth. However, almost half her siblings had died during or sometime after childbirth.
Her mother hailed from an artistic family and was the daughter of a local poet. Catherine’s father worked as a cloth dyer and made just enough money to run his household.
Catherine was born along with a twin sister named Giovanna. The sisters were born prematurely, which could be attributed to their mother’s age when they were born. Lapa had conceived them when she was 40 years old. Giovanna died shortly after her birth, but Catherine survived, as her mother herself took special care of her. Catherine eventually grew into a perfectly healthy child.
Catherine was a happy-go-lucky kid, and it was not until the age of 5 or 6 that she had had a proper brush with spirituality. While on her way home after visiting a married sister, she had a vision of Jesus Christ. By the time she was 7 years old, she had decided that she would be dedicating her entire life to the service of Jesus Christ.
Catherine was 16 when she witnessed the death of one of her closest sisters. While she was grieving the loss, her parents suggested she marry her sister’s widower. However, Catherine was staunchly against it. She stopped eating and also cut her hair short as a mark of protest.
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The Dominican Order
In her late teenage years, she wanted to join the ‘Dominican Order,’ but her mother was against it. Her mother took her away to the village of Bagno Vignoni, where Catherine’s health deteriorated. Her mother then allowed her to join the female branch of ‘Dominicans,’ named the ‘Mantellate.’
Lapa requested the sisters of the order to include Catherine in the order. However, Catherine’s inclusion was opposed by the tertiaries, as the order had only consisted of widows till then. Catherine was still taken in, but she was only allowed to practice her faith at home. Meanwhile, Catherine learned to read and write and remained secluded in her family home, in total solitude and silence.
Soon, Catherine began donating food and clothes to the poor. Her family was not financially stable and thus strongly opposed her ways. However, Catherine said that she did not want anything for herself and continued giving away food and clothes without telling her family.
At the age of 21, Catherine experienced her “mystical marriage” with Jesus Christ. She claimed that she was given an invisible ring. While many scholars doubt this claim, there are many who say that she had “received” a ring made of Jesus’s foreskin. Catherine herself had mentioned the “foreskin-as-wedding ring” motif in one of her letters.
This experience had a deep impact on her. Soon, she started going out of her house to help the poor and the needy. She often visited the local hospitals and slums to help people. Gradually, many people began joining her in her charitable deeds.
Catherine found peace in helping others and began traveling to other cities to help the needy. She also gained an interest in politics in her early 20s and worked hard to ensure that the city authorities worked in coherence with the pope.
She made her first long visit to Florence in 1374, in order to get interviewed by the ‘Dominican’ authorities. It is also believed that during this time, she had met Raymond of Capua and had accepted him as her spiritual director and confessor.
After this, she embarked on long travels around Italy to propagate the message of Jesus Christ and to preach the love for God in people’s hearts. She was in Pisa in 1375, and it is believed that she had received stigmata there. Stigmata is a “spiritual occurrence,” in which a person receives marks similar to those of Jesus when he was crucified. However, she claimed that the marks were visible only to her.
Physical travels were not the only way she spread her message. She wrote many letters to influential men and women to propagate her message of Christ. She was also known for her long correspondence with Pope Gregory XI. He held her in high regard. Thus, she was one of the main persuaders who attempted to make the pope return to Rome.
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She was also one of the main reasons for the establishment of peace between Rome and Florence. To achieve this, she was sent to Florence by the pope in 1377. However, with the pope’s death in March 1378, violence erupted in Florence. Catherine was still in Florence and narrowly escaped being assassinated. However, owing to her efforts, peace returned between the two cities. Catherine thus went back to Florence.
In November 1378, the “Western Schism” became a huge problem. The “Schism” was a split within the ‘Catholic Church,’ lasting from 1378 to 1417, in which two men (three by 1410) simultaneously claimed to be the true pope. The new pope, Urban VI, invited her to Rome. She met many nobles and wrote countless letters to convince the nobles and cardinals of his legitimacy.
She also completed a few works of writing, which became classics later. She is best known for writing the treatise titled ‘The Dialogue of Divine Providence.’ In addition, many letters written by her are considered to be classics of Tuscan Literature. She had also written many prayers.
Death & Legacy
In the final few months of her life, Catherine of Siena had stopped eating and drinking. She had been practicing abstinence for a long time, but it was the harshest this time around. Her health further deteriorated in 1380, when she became unable to chew or swallow anything. She suffered a stroke just 8 days before her death, which paralyzed her from the waist down.
She passed away on April 29, 1380, in Rome. She was 33 years old at the time of her death.
Centuries later, in 1866, she was declared the co-patron saint of Rome. Pope John Paul II proclaimed her one of the patron saints of Europe in 1999.
Facts About Catherine of Siena

Catherine of Siena was known for her ability to experience spiritual visions, which she believed were direct messages from God. These visions guided her in her actions and decisions throughout her life.

Despite being a woman in a time when women had limited rights and opportunities, Catherine boldly challenged societal norms and played a significant role in the political and religious landscape of her time.

Catherine was known for her extreme acts of self-denial and austerity, including fasting and self-mortification. Her dedication to a life of extreme simplicity and piety inspired many followers.

Catherine was instrumental in convincing Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy from Avignon to Rome, thus restoring the authority of the papacy and uniting the Church.

In addition to her spiritual endeavors, Catherine was also known for her compassion and care for the sick and poor. She dedicated much of her life to serving those in need, embodying the virtues of charity and kindness.

See the events in life of Catherine Of Siena in Chronological Order

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