Francesco Lippi (3 December 1211 – 11 December 1291) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

professed religious from the

Carmelites The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...

. He lived his life as a soldier before suffering the loss of sight at which point his healing led him down the path of repentance and into the Carmelites. Lippi was beatified in 1670 after

Pope Clement X Pope Clement X (; ; 13 July 1590 – 22 July 1676), born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 April 1670 to his death on 22 July 1676. Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, born in Rome in ...

approved Lippi's longstanding local 'cultus' (or popular devotion).

Life

Francesco Lippi was born on 3 December 1211 in

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

to the nobles Matteo Lippi and Dorotea. He spent his dissolute adolescence as a soldier that indulged in vices and his outfit captured Sarteano from the Orvientani. But in that conflict he was blinded in 1261. He offered to change his life if he was healed which, according to tradition, occurred after requesting the intercession of Saint James. He travelled on a pilgrimage to Campostella and to the

Basilica di San Nicola The Pontifical Basilica of Saint Nicholas is a church in Bari, southern Italy, that holds wide religious significance throughout Europe and the Christian world. The basilica is an important pilgrimage destination both for Catholics and Orthodox ...

Bari Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...

to visit the tomb of

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...

. He also travelled to both Loreto and

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. Lippi listened to the preaching of

Ambrose Sansedoni Ambrose of Siena or Sienna (born Ambrogio Sansedoni; 16 April 1220 – 20 March 1287) was an Italian Dominican teacher, missionary and diplomat. Biography Ambrose was born at Sienna on 16 April 1220, to the noble family of Sansedoni. When he w ...

in Siena and was resolved to live the remainder of his life as a hermit and to do penance for his earlier life; he shut himself in a small cell and remained there from 1261 to 1266. Lippi entered the

and continued to live as a hermit. He experienced visions of

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

and the

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

as well as seeing angels and experiencing the temptations of demons. He also possessed prophetic gifts. He died on 11 December 1291. Part of his relics were relocated to a Carmelite

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

Cremona Cremona ( , , ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po (river), Po river in the middle of the Po Valley. It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local city a ...

in 1341.

Beatification

The confirmation of the late Lippi's 'cultus' (or popular devotion) allowed for

to approve his beatification in 1670. His iconographical depiction includes a chain and a ball in his mouth which he used to practice silence.

References

External links

Saints SQPN
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lippi, Francesco 1211 births 1291 deaths 13th-century venerated Christians 13th-century Italian Christian monks Beatifications by Pope Clement X Carmelite beatified people Italian beatified people People from Siena