1347-1380
Catholic Nun

Special Destiny. Born Katerina di Benincasa at Siena in western Italy, she was the second youngest child in a family of twenty-four children. She was a twin, whose sister was given to a wet nurse because her mother did not have enough milk for two babies. Catherine lived while her twin sister died in a few months. This tragedy gave Catherine a sense of having a special destiny. Her father was a dyer, who, as a member of the class of tradesmen and artisans, was active in the politics of Siena. His faction held power from 1355 to 1368. This situation probably was the root of Catherine's strong interest in politics and her good sense of how to achieve political goals.

Divine Vision. Catherine was barely a year old when the Black Death swept through Siena, taking several of her siblings and many...