work > The Folk Saints Index

St. Bendetta Carlini, born in 1590 in Pisa, Italy, & executed on September 20, 1661, is remembered for her remarkable yet tragic story of defiance & religious devotion. A nun in the convent of the Congregation of the Mother of God, Bendetta became the center of scandalous accusations involving a passionate, purportedly supernatural relationship with another nun, Sister Bartolomea. Her life & subsequent trial were marked by intense scrutiny & persecution, reflecting the era's rigid views on sexuality & gender.