Blessed Louisa Albertoni
Blessed Louisa Albertoni (Italian: Ludovica Albertoni; born 1473 AD in Rome, Italy; died January 31, 1533 AD in Rome, Italy) was a Roman noblewoman and Franciscan tertiary, a widow who devoted her wealth and her life to the service of the poor. She is venerated as a Blessed, and her tomb in the church of San Francesco a Ripa in Rome is marked by a celebrated sculpture of her by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Her feast day is January 31.
Left a widow, Ludovica Albertoni gave herself to prayer, penance, and untiring charity, selling her possessions to feed and relieve the poor of Rome. Her cult was confirmed in 1671.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Louisa Albertoni
| Blessed Louisa Albertoni | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | January 31 |
| Profession | Noblewoman; widow; Franciscan tertiary |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Third Order of Saint Francis (Franciscans) |
| Patronage | Widows; those who serve the poor; Rome; Franciscan tertiaries |
| Attributes | Franciscan tertiary habit; giving alms to the poor; her Bernini effigy in ecstasy |
| Birthplace | Rome, Italy |
| Death Place | Rome, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; Roman noblewoman, widow, and Franciscan tertiary devoted to the poor; died at Rome |
| Primary Shrine | Church of San Francesco a Ripa, Trastevere, Rome, Italy |
Biography
Ludovica Albertoni was born in 1473 into a noble family of Rome. She was married to a nobleman, Giacomo della Cetera, and had three daughters. She was known even as a wife and mother for her piety and her charity to the poor.
On the death of her husband, Ludovica did not remarry but consecrated the remainder of her life to God. She entered the Third Order of Saint Francis, adopting a life of prayer, penance, and humility. She devoted her considerable wealth to the relief of the poor of Rome, especially in the district of Trastevere, distributing food and alms, visiting and caring for the sick and needy, and at times selling her own goods to meet their wants. She was favored with mystical graces and ecstasies.
Ludovica Albertoni died at Rome on January 31, 1533, mourned by the poor she had served. She was venerated as a Blessed, and her cult was confirmed in 1671 by Pope Clement X. Her feast is kept on January 31.
Her memory is famously preserved in the church of San Francesco a Ripa in Trastevere, where the sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini created a celebrated marble effigy depicting her in the moment of her holy death or ecstasy—one of the masterpieces of Baroque sacred art.
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Feast day
January 31
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