Saint · Late medieval
Catherine of Siena
Dominican tertiary, mystic and letter-writer; Doctor of the Church and co-patron of Europe
- Period
- 1347–1380
- Feast day
- 29 April
- Associated region
- Siena and Pisa; Florence; Avignon; Rome
Overview
Mystic and letter-writer, admitted to the Mantellate in Siena. Her letters and her visit to Avignon urged Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy to Rome.
Key timeline
4 events
- 25 March 1347
Birth at Siena
- c. 1368Traditional
Mystical marriage, according to Raymond of Capua
- 1375Traditional
Stigmata at Pisa, according to Raymond of Capua
- June 1376
Envoy to Avignon
Urges Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome.
Life
Catherine was born on 25 March 1347 in Siena. She joined the Mantellate, women informally devoted to Dominican spirituality. The Third Order was formalised only after her death.
In June 1376 she went to Avignon as a Florentine envoy. The mission failed, but she urged Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome. He returned the papal administration to Rome in January 1377; the checked article says her share in that decision is debated.
She learned to write in 1377 and dictated many letters. Her Dialogue was begun in October 1377. She died in Rome on 29 April 1380, aged 33.
Principal written sources
- Authentic, dated: The Dialogue of Divine Providence, begun October 1377 and finished November 1378; much of it is said to have been dictated during ecstasy, and it may have been re-edited.
- Authentic, undated: about 382 letters survive; many were dictated, though she learned to write in 1377. Twenty-six prayers survive, mostly from her last eighteen months.
- Later account: Legenda Major, by Raymond of Capua, her confessor and biographer, completed in 1395.
Full timeline
- 25 March 1347
Birth at Siena
- c. 1368Traditional
Mystical marriage, according to Raymond of Capua
- 1375Traditional
Stigmata at Pisa, according to Raymond of Capua
- June 1376
Envoy to Avignon
Urges Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome.
- January 1377Disputed
The papacy returns to Rome
Her share in the decision is debated.
- 1377–1378Own account
The Dialogue of Divine Providence
- 29 April 1380
Death in Rome
- 29 June 1461Church-recognised
Canonised
By Pope Pius II.
- 4 October 1970Church-recognised
Declared a Doctor of the Church
By Pope Paul VI.
- 1 October 1999Church-recognised
Named co-patron of Europe
By Pope John Paul II.
Tradition
Canonised on 29 June 1461 by Pope Pius II. Declared a Doctor of the Church on 4 October 1970 by Pope Paul VI, and named co-patron of Europe on 1 October 1999 by Pope John Paul II.
Teresa of Ávila was declared a Doctor in the same year, 1970; the two were the first women so honoured.
- Feast day
- 29 April — Feast day; anniversary of her death
- Venerated in (starting dataset)
- Catholic, Anglican. Recognised by the Catholic Church: canonised, declared a Doctor of the Church and named co-patron of Europe. The workbook also lists Anglican veneration, which the checked article does not confirm.
- Patronage and roles (starting dataset)
- Europe, Italy, Nurses
- Places
- Siena · Pisa · Florence · Avignon · Rome
Accounts
Accounts in the starting dataset
The source workbook lists these under “Confirmed Miracle / Key Event”. The Atlas does not treat them as confirmed: each is labelled by the kind of evidence behind it.
TraditionalInvisible stigmata and a mystical marriage with Christ
“Receiving invisible Stigmata and mystical marriage with Christ in vision”
Raymond of Capua places the stigmata at Pisa in 1375, visible only to her, and the mystical marriage at about age 21 (c. 1368). Catherine herself calls it a “Mystical Marriage” in her letters. The checked article notes a debated detail of the ring imagery.
DisputedPersuading Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome
“Persuading Pope Gregory XI to return Avignon Papacy to Rome”
She went to Avignon in June 1376 and urged the pope to return. The return came in January 1377. Her share in that decision is debated, so the claim is recorded as disputed.
Sources
About the image · Editorial design
Decorative initial C, drawn for the Atlas. It is not a likeness of Catherine.
Editorial status
Reference entry, drafted with particular care. Key dates were spot-checked during this build against the sources marked “checked” below; other references are listed for later verification.
References
Reference work✓ Checked in build session
Catherine of Siena (opens in a new tab)
Opened in this session. Checked: birth and death (25 March 1347; 29 April 1380, Rome), the Avignon mission (June 1376) and the return (January 1377), the Dialogue dates, the letter and prayer counts, Raymond of Capua’s Legenda Major (1395), the stigmata (Pisa, 1375) and mystical marriage (c. 1368) as reported by Raymond, canonisation (1461), the Doctor (1970) and co-patronage (1999). The Mantellate wording is from the article.
Workbook linkNot yet checked
britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Link supplied in the source workbook (“Top 100 Saints”, row 71). It has not been checked to confirm that it supports every claim in that row.
Original workbook record
Imported unchanged from “Top 100 Saints”, row 71. Values here are the starting dataset, not verified facts; where the Atlas differs, the reason is noted below.
- #
- 63
- Saint / Title
- Saint Catherine of Siena
- Primary Traditions Veneration
- Catholic, Anglican
- Feast Day(s)
- April 29
- Era / Lived
- 1347 – 1380 AD
- Origin / Region
- Siena, Italy
- Patronage & Major Roles
- Europe, Italy, Nurses
- Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 1
- Receiving invisible Stigmata and mystical marriage with Christ in vision
- Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 2
- Persuading Pope Gregory XI to return Avignon Papacy to Rome
- Key Contribution / Historical Significance
- Dominican tertiary mystic whose writings helped persuade Pope to return from Avignon to Rome.
- Reference Link
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Catherine-of-Siena
Editorial notes on this record
- Key Contribution / Historical Significance: “Dominican tertiary”: the Third Order was formalised only after her death; she belonged to the Mantellate.
- Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 2: Her share in the papal return is debated; recorded as disputed, not as an established achievement.