Agnes of Montepulciano

Life

Agnes was born in 1268 into the noble Segni family in Gracciano, a frazione of Montepulciano, then part of the Papal States. At the age of nine, she convinced her parents to allow her to enter a Franciscan monastery of women in the city known as the "Sisters of the Sack", after the rough religious habit they wore. They lived a simple contemplative life. She received the permission of the pope to be accepted into this life at such a young age, which was normally against Church law.

In 1281, the lord of the castle of Proceno, a fief of Orvieto, invited the nuns of Montepulciano to send some of their sisters to Proceno to found a new monastery. Agnes was among the nuns sent to found this new community. At the age of fourteen she was appointed bursar.

In 1288 Agnes, despite her youth at only 20 years of age, was noted for her devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and deep life of prayer, and was elected as the prioress of the community. There she gained a reputation for performing miracles; people suffering from mental and physical ailments seemed cured by her presence. She was reported to have "multiplied loaves", creating many from a few on numerous occasions, recalling the Gospel miracle of the loaves and fishes. She herself, however, suffered severe bouts of illness which lasted long periods of time.

In 1306, Agnes was recalled to head the monastery in Montepulciano. Agnes reached a high degree of contemplative prayer and is said to have been favoured with many visions. After her return, she proceeded to build a church, Santa Maria Novella in Florence, to honour the Blessed Mother, as she felt she had been commanded to do in a mystical vision several years earlier. She also had a vision of Dominic Guzman, under the inspiration of which she led the nuns of her monastery to embrace the Rule of St. Augustine as members of the Dominican Order. She was frequently called upon to bring peace to the warring families of the city.

By 1316, Agnes' health had declined so greatly that her doctor suggested taking the cure at the thermal springs in the neighbouring town of Chianciano Terme. The nuns of the community prevailed upon her to take his recommendation. While many of the other bathers reported being cured of their illnesses, Agnes received no benefit from the springs. Her health deteriorated to such a degree that she had to be carried back to the monastery on a stretcher.

Veneration

Agnes died the following 20 April, at the age of 49. The Dominican friars attempted to obtain balsam (or myrrh) to embalm her body. It was found, however, to be producing a sweet odor on its own, and her limbs remained supple. Her tomb became the site of pilgrimages.

Some fifty years after her death, a Dominican friar, Raymond of Capua, who served as confessor to Catherine of Siena, wrote an account of Agnes' life. He described her body as still appearing as if she were alive. Catherine herself referred to her as "Our mother, the glorious Agnes".

In 1435 her remains were moved to the church of San Domenico, Orvieto.

Agnes was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726. The latest official edition of the Roman Martyrology commemorates Agnes under the date of 20 April. This is also the date of her feast day within the Dominican Order.

Agnes of Montepulciano is depicted as a Dominican nun with a cross or crucifix, lilies, and a lamb (a play upon the name "Agnes").

References

• Saint Agnes of Montepulciano, patron saint archive

References

1. [https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01213c.htm Fitzgerald, Edward. "St. Agnes of Montepulciano." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 25 November 2021 {{PD-notice
2. "Sant' Agnese Segni di Montepulciano". Santi Beati.
3. "Dorcy, Marie Jean. ''St. Dominic's Family'', Tan Books and Publishers, (1983)".
4. [https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-agnes-of-monte-pulciano/ Monks of Ramsgate. "Agnes of Monte Pulciano". ''Book of Saints''] 1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 10 August 2018 {{PD-notice
5. (20 April 2012). "St. Agnes of Montepuliciano". Catholic News Agency.
6. [https://catholicsaints.info/butlers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-agnes-of-monte-pulciano-virgin-and-abbess/ Butler, Alban. "Saint Agnes of Monte Pulciano, Virgin and Abbess". ''Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints''] 1866. CatholicSaints.Info. 21 May 2017 {{PD-notice
7. (1996). "Giambattista Tiepolo, 1696-1770 : [Venice, Museum of Ca' Rezzonico, from September 5 to December 9, 1996] : The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, [from January 24 to April 27, 1997]". Metropolitan Museum of Art.
8. ''[[Martyrologium Romanum]], ex decreto sacrosancti oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II instauratum auctoritate Ioannis Pauli Pp. II promulgatum, editio [typica] altera, Typis Vaticanis, A.D. MMIV'' (2004), p. 245 {{ISBN. 88-209-7210-7 ""At Montepulciano in Tuscany, Saint Agnes, virgin, who at the age of 9 was clothed in the habit of holy virgins and aged only 15 was put in charge of the nuns of Proceno. Not long afterwards she gave an marvellous example of true humility in the monastery (Montepulciano) she had founded according to the teaching of St Dominic.""
9. [https://www.christianiconography.info/agnesMontepulciano.html Stracke, Richard. "Saint Agnes of Montepulciano: The Iconography", Christian Iconography]