Saint of the Day – 28 February – Blessed Villana de’Botti OP (1332-1361) Widow

Saint of the Day – 28 February – Blessed Villana de’Botti OP (1332-1361) Widow, Mother, Penitent, Mystic, Lay Religious of the Order of Preachers. She was gifted with visions of Our Lady and of the Saints and was granted the gift of prophecy. Born in 1332 in Florence, Italy and died on 29 January 1361 of natural causes. Patronage – of Florence.

Villana de’Botti was born in 1332 in Florence in the Tuscany region of central Italy. She was the daughter of the rich Florentine merchant Andrea di Lapo de’Botti. As a child she was exceptionally pious and, at the age of thirteen, she ran away from home to enter a Convent. But her father objected to this and had her brought back. Not long after, in July 1351 he had her married to Rosso di Piero Benintendi.

After she married, she seemed completely transformed. She indulged herself completely in worldliness and vanity and even debauchery. But it is said that one day she was going out dressed in a beautiful dress adorned with pearls and precious stones. She looked in the mirror, but instead of her own reflection, she saw a demon (another version says she saw her stained soul). The same image appeared in a second and a third mirror. Immediately Villana repented of her sins, her vices and evil habits. She tore off her dress and put on the simplest outfit she could find. She then went to the Dominican Church of Santa Maria Novella and made a general Confession. Not long after, she joined the Dominican Tertiaries.

Her conversion was complete but she remained faithful to her marital duties. However, she spent all her free time in prayer and reading spiritual literature, studying — especially the biographies of Saints and St Paul ‘s letters and, she made great progress in the spiritual life. She tried to beg for the poor in the streets but was prevented from doing so by her horrified family. She appears to have had visions and ecstasies, and despite opposition in certain camps, she was locally venerated as a saint even before she died. After she became a widow, she had to endure slander from some of her companions.

She died on 29 January 1361 in Florence while the words from the Passion of Christ: “He bowed his head and gave up His spirit” were read to her at her request. (The painting below depicts Bl Villana and companions mourning the Death of our Saviour). Her body was carried to the Church of Santa Maria Novella, where it was besieged for a month by large crowds who fought to get hold of pieces of her clothing and made it impossible for any burial to take place.

She is buried there in a marble tomb made by Bernardo Rossellino. She was Beatified on 27 March 1824 when her cult was confirmed by Pope Leo XII (1823-1829). Her Feast Day is 28 February.