Basilica di Sant'Agostino

The Ecstasy of Blessed Rita da Cascia (1674) Giacinto Brandi.

In the Basilica di Sant'Agostino in Rome, in the third chapel on the right, you can find The Ecstasy of Blessed Rita da Cascia (1674) by Giacinto Brandi.

St. Rita was born in 1381 into a family with strong Christian values. She married Paolo di Ferdinando, and after he was murdered, she prayed constantly so her two sons wouldn’t seek revenge. She eventually became an Augustinian nun at the convent of Cascia. 15 years before her death, Rita asked Jesus to share in His suffering, and she received a thorn from His crown on her forehead. She passed away in 1447 after a life full of sanctity. You see the thorn in her forehead of the statue to the left of the altar.

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