Scudder, Vida, trans. and ed., Saint Catherine of Siena as Seen in her Letters (London: Dent, 1905). View Source Online

Text name(s): Letters of Catherine of Siena

Number of pages of primary source text: 0

Medieval Author(s): Catherine of Siena

Dates: 1360 - 1380

Archival Reference:

Original Language(s): Italian;

Translation: English translation.

Translation Comments:

Geopolitical Region(s): Italy;

County/Region:

Apparatus: Appendices Introduction

Comments:

Catherine of Siena was born to a wealthy Italian family, and at a fairly young age decided to live a religious life. She became a Dominican Tertiary, had many mystical visions, and practiced extreme physical ascetism and self-mortification. Troubled by the state of the world, especially the Papal Schism, Catherine began to write letters to people in authority all over Europe to try to convince them to set things aright. She had an especially long and friendly correspondence with Pope Gregory XI. Her letters are valued not only for her mysticism and her passionate attempts to create peace, but also for their literary merit, despite her lack of education. This edition provides English translations of many of her letters. The volume includes a Table of Persons Addressed, a list of Chief Events in the life of St. Catherine, and a Brief Outline of Contemporary Public Events

Introduction Summary:

The introduction is entitled “Saint Catherine of Siena as Seen in her Letters”, and analyzes various aspects of her personality through the letters.

Cataloger: MK