Blessed Benedict Ricasoli
Blessed Benedict Ricasoli (born c. 1130 AD in Coltibuono, Tuscany, Italy; died January 20, 1107 AD [recte: c. 1194] in Coltibuono, Tuscany, Italy) was an Italian Vallombrosan Benedictine monk of the illustrious Ricasoli family — one of the oldest noble families of Tuscany — who entered the Abbey of Coltibuono (Badia a Coltibuono) in the Chianti hills of the Arno valley and spent his life there in prayer and holiness. He is venerated as a blessed in the Vallombrosan Order and in the Chianti region of Tuscany. His feast day is January 20.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Benedict Ricasoli
| Blessed Benedict Ricasoli | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | January 20 |
| Profession | Vallombrosan Benedictine monk; Tuscan noble who renounced aristocratic life for monastic life; contemplative; member of the Ricasoli family |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Vallombrosan Order (Congregatio Vallumbrosana); Tuscan Catholic tradition; Chianti monastic culture; medieval Benedictine spirituality |
| Patronage | Chianti region; Gaiole in Chianti; the Vallombrosan Order; Tuscan nobility in religious life; the Abbey of Coltibuono |
| Attributes | Black Benedictine habit (Vallombrosan habit is black); a cross; the hills of Chianti; a book (lectio divina); Tuscan landscape |
| Birthplace | Coltibuono, Chianti, Tuscany, Italy |
| Death Place | Coltibuono (Badia a Coltibuono), Chianti, Tuscany, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died c. 1194 at the Abbey of Coltibuono (Badia a Coltibuono) in the Chianti hills; he had entered the Vallombrosan Benedictine monastery as a young man, spending his life there in prayer, penance, and contemplation; the Ricasoli family had a close association with the Abbey of Coltibuono — the abbey was founded in the 11th century in the woods of the Chianti hills, and the Ricasoli family were among its principal patrons and benefactors; Benedict Ricasoli is venerated as a local blessed; feast January 20 |
| Primary Shrine | Badia a Coltibuono, Gaiole in Chianti, Tuscany — former Vallombrosan abbey; January 20 feast; Ricasoli family tradition |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; January 20 feast in the Vallombrosan Order and in the Chianti-Siena Catholic tradition |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Benedict Ricasoli was born around 1130, a member of the ancient Ricasoli noble family of the Chianti hills in Tuscany. He entered the Abbey of Coltibuono (Badia a Coltibuono), a Vallombrosan Benedictine monastery in the hills between Gaiole in Chianti and Florence, founded in 1049 by the Vallombrosan reform movement.
He spent his life at Coltibuono in prayer, penance, and contemplation, living the Vallombrosan tradition of strict monastic observance. The Ricasoli family had close ties to the abbey — he was both a member of its founding patron family and one of its most holy sons.
He is venerated as a blessed in the Vallombrosan Order and the Chianti region. His feast day is January 20.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Coltibuono, Chianti, Tuscany, Italy
Death location: Coltibuono (Badia a Coltibuono), Chianti, Tuscany, Italy
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Known shrines
- Badia a Coltibuono, Gaiole in Chianti, Tuscany — former Vallombrosan abbey with church of Saints Lorenzo and Niccolò.
Feast day
January 20
Veneration
Blessed Benedict Ricasoli (c. 1130–c. 1194) was a Tuscan Vallombrosan Benedictine monk of the ancient Ricasoli noble family who entered the Abbey of Coltibuono in the Chianti hills and spent his life there in prayer and holiness, venerated by the Vallombrosan Order. Feast January 20.
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