Saint Rita of Cascia and Roccaporena Private Day Tour from Rome

Monastero di Santa Rita da Cascia

Cascia is home to Saint Rita of Cascia, one of Catholicism's most revered saints, often referred to as the "Saint of the Impossible". Cascia is also the place where a Eucharistic Miracle is preserved. It is therefore high on the list for many Catholic pilgrims. Saint Rita of Cascia is often called "the saint of the impossible". St. Rita's story is one of the power of prayer and of faith. She was born in 1381 near the city of Cascia and, although she wished to enter a convent, she was married off to obedience to her wishes at the age of 16. Due to a misunderstanding of the writings on her coffin , it had long been thought that her husband was abusive to her during their 18 years of marriage. Very often Saint Rita is portrayed as a long- suffering and even abused wife, whose husband was a violent drunkard, and an unfaithful spouse. When Cicco Barbarian, a carpenter who miraculously recovered the use of his arm as he prayed before the body of the recently deceased Rita, Jesus and Mary Magdalene, as well as with symbols illustrating the spiritual influences on her life. There was also an engraving of the outer cover of Rita, her suffering and her love. Pilgrims would like to pray before this market, which has never been buried in the ground but remained in a small room within the convent, exposed to the view of visitors. Here they would be devotional candles and signs of their affection and reminders of their prayers. Over the last few decades the smoke from the candles, eventually making it difficult to read clearly the poetic inscription. In time someone noticed that the poem spoke of a maritu ferocious or violent husband. Preachers began to elaborate on this theme, describing Rita's great heroism in patiently enduring trials and sorrows which her spouse caused her. Rita’s virtuous life was written almost to the end of her life. It was not until the 20th century, when the nuns of the monumental casket had cleaned and restored, that the maritu fierce vanished. Rita’s thorn, suffering from quite a different kind. Saint Rita of Cascia is considered patron saint of impossible causes.

When we talk about Santa Rita, we immediately think of the city of Cascia, but what few people know is that, in fact, Santa's hometown is Roccaporena, both in Umbria. You will see birth house of Rita, the room where she was born, and the house where she lived with her husband.