In January 1457, an elderly Augustinian nun lay dying in her cell at the Monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene. For fifteen years, Sister Rita had borne a wound on her forehead—a festering mark from a thorn of Christ's crown that had pierced her flesh while she prayed before a crucifix. Now, as the winter cold gripped the Umbrian mountains, she asked her cousin to bring her a rose from her childhood garden in Roccaporena. The request seemed impossible—roses do not bloom in January. Yet when the cousin reached the garden, there among the snow she found a single rose in full flower, and beside it, two ripe figs on a barren tree. She returned with the miraculous gifts, and five months later, Rita died surrounded by the fragrance of roses.
Cascia rises from the rugged mountains of southeastern Umbria, its narrow streets climbing toward the massive basilica that now dominates the skyline. For over five centuries, pilgrims have traveled to this remote town seeking the intercession of the woman they call the "Saint of Impossible Cases." Her incorrupt body lies in a glass reliquary above the main altar, the forehead wound still visible on her preserved face. The basilica welcomes over a million visitors each year—those facing impossible marriages, estranged families, incurable illness, and desperate situations of every kind—all drawn by the story of a woman who transformed suffering into sanctity.
Nearby Roccaporena, the hamlet where Rita was born and spent her married years, preserves the humble homes and sacred rock where she prayed. The garden where the miraculous rose bloomed still grows thick with roses, tended by faithful hands. Together, Cascia and Roccaporena offer pilgrims a journey through the entire life of this beloved saint—from her miraculous birth to her mysterious death, and from the earthly thorns she bore to the heavenly rose she received.
📜 History & Spiritual Significance
Rita was born Margherita Lotti in 1381 to Antonio and Amata, known throughout the region as peacemakers. Shortly after her birth, bees swarmed around the infant's mouth, flying in and out without stinging—a sign her family interpreted as divine blessing. From childhood, Rita desired the religious life, but her parents arranged her marriage at age twelve to Paolo Mancini, a man known for his violent temper. For eighteen years, Rita endured an abusive marriage, bearing twin sons and praying ceaselessly for her husband's conversion. Her prayers were answered shortly before his murder in a family feud, when Paolo reportedly repented and received the sacraments.
Rita's sons, raised in the vendetta culture of medieval Italy, swore to avenge their father. The widow prayed that God would take them rather than let them become murderers. Both died of illness within the year. Left alone, Rita sought entry to the Augustinian monastery in Cascia, but the nuns refused her three times—she was a widow, not a virgin, and her family's involvement in the feud made her unwelcome. Rita was told she could enter only if she reconciled the warring families. Through years of patient effort, invoking Saints John the Baptist, Augustine, and Nicholas of Tolentino, she achieved the impossible: the blood feud ended in peace. The monastery doors opened to her in 1417, when she was thirty-six years old.
For forty years, Rita lived as an Augustinian nun, practicing severe penances and dedicating herself to contemplation of Christ's Passion. In 1442, while praying before a crucifix, she asked to share in Christ's suffering. A thorn from his crown seemed to pierce her forehead, leaving a deep wound that never healed. The injury festered and emitted such an unpleasant odor that Rita was often confined to her cell, separated from the community she loved—a humiliation she bore as another gift of participation in Christ's sufferings. The wound remained visible until her death on May 22, 1457, when the monastery filled with the fragrance of roses and the ringing of bells that no human hands had touched.
When Rita's body was exhumed for canonization proceedings, it was found incorrupt. Pope Urban VIII beatified her in 1627, and Pope Leo XIII canonized her on May 24, 1900, declaring her the "Patroness of Impossible Causes." The title reflects not only the miraculous circumstances of her life—the reconciliation of enemies, the winter rose, the forehead wound—but the countless answered prayers attributed to her intercession.
☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Cascia
Basilica di Santa Rita da Cascia
Basilica of Saint Rita of Cascia
The modern basilica, built in the twentieth century with offerings from devotees worldwide, rises on Sant'Agostino hill to accommodate the millions who visit each year. The vast white structure, designed to inspire awe while maintaining the intimacy proper to pilgrimage, centers on the incorrupt body of Saint Rita, displayed in a crystal reliquary above the main altar. The saint's face, partially restored with wax, still bears the mark of the thorn wound on her forehead. Intermittently, a sweet fragrance emanates from the body—the mysterious scent of roses that filled the monastery at her death. The basilica's lower chapel preserves the bloodstained pages of the 1330 Eucharistic Miracle, when a consecrated Host transformed into visible blood after a priest carelessly placed it between the pages of his prayer book. The Communal Statutes of Cascia, dating to 1387, ordained that this relic be carried in procession through the city every Corpus Christi.
Monastero di Santa Rita
Monastery of Saint Rita
Adjacent to the basilica stands the monastery where Rita lived for forty years and where she died in 1457. Originally dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene, it was renamed in honor of its most famous daughter. Approximately forty Augustinian sisters continue the contemplative life Rita practiced. The preserved cell where Rita died and received the miraculous winter rose remains a place of profound pilgrimage. Though the monastery itself is enclosed, certain areas are accessible to pilgrims, including the room where Rita spent her final months in prayer and suffering.
Chiesa di Sant'Agostino
Church of Saint Augustine
This hilltop church near the Rocca preserves the site of the 1330 Eucharistic Miracle. A local priest, summoned to bring Communion to a dying peasant, irreverently placed the consecrated Host between the pages of his breviary rather than carrying it properly. When he opened the book at the sick man's bedside, he found the Host had transformed into a clot of blood, staining the pages. The priest sought counsel from Fra Simone Fidati at the Augustinian Priory of Siena, who granted him pardon and preserved the bloodstained pages as a relic. This witness to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist has been venerated in Cascia for nearly seven centuries.
Casa Natale di Santa Rita — Roccaporena
Birthplace of Saint Rita
Six kilometers from Cascia, the hamlet of Roccaporena preserves the humble house where Rita was born in 1381. Father Nicola Simonetti identified the actual birthplace in 1697, and the building has been transformed into a chapel and small museum. Pilgrims can pray in the simple dwelling where the "Saint of Impossible Cases" began her extraordinary life.
Casa Maritale di Santa Rita — Roccaporena
Marital Home of Saint Rita
In this house, Rita lived with her husband Paolo Mancini and raised her twin sons. Here she endured eighteen years of a difficult marriage, praying ceaselessly for her husband's conversion. Cardinal Fausto Poli financed its transformation into a chapel in 1629. Inside, a famous painting by Neapolitan artist Luca Giordano depicts Rita receiving the thorn stigmata while kneeling before a crucifix.
Orto del Miracolo — Roccaporena
Garden of the Miracle
This sloped garden, thick with rose bushes, is the site of the miraculous winter rose. In January 1457, when the dying Rita asked for a rose from her childhood garden, her cousin found one blooming in the snow, along with two ripe figs on a barren tree. The Commission for Rita's beatification visited the garden in 1526 and found the fig tree tradition claims is the same one from the miracle. A bronze sculpture by Rodolfo Maleci (1941) depicts the scene of Rita making her final request. Pilgrims come here to reflect on divine providence and the mysterious ways God answers impossible prayers.
Scoglio di Santa Rita — Roccaporena
Sacred Rock of Saint Rita
Rising 120 meters above the valley floor, this rocky outcrop at 827 meters elevation was Rita's place of solitary prayer. Throughout her difficult years as a wife and mother, she climbed to this summit to seek solace with God. A small chapel, built in 1919 and reconstructed after the 1979 earthquake, crowns the rock. The climb itself is considered a spiritual pilgrimage, and pilgrims who reach the summit are rewarded with panoramic views of the valley and a profound sense of the isolation Rita sought for her encounters with God.
🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations
Feast of Saint Rita — May 22
The anniversary of Rita's death draws pilgrims from around the world to Cascia. A triduum of Masses on May 20, 21, and 22 prepares the faithful for the main celebration. The distinctive tradition of the Blessing of Roses takes place at the end of each Mass, recalling the miraculous winter rose. Dried rose petals are distributed to the sick and to devotees who will carry them home as sacramentals. Processions wind through Cascia with relics of the saint, and confessions are available in multiple languages throughout the feast. The basilica remains open extended hours to accommodate the crowds seeking to venerate Rita's incorrupt body.
Corpus Christi — Moveable Feast
The relic of the 1330 Eucharistic Miracle is carried in procession through Cascia, as ordained by the Communal Statutes of 1387. This ancient tradition connects the veneration of the Real Presence with the local witness of miraculous blood that testified to Christ's true presence in the Eucharist.
🛏️ Where to Stay
Hotel delle Rose ⭐⭐⭐ — Family-run hotel just 20 meters from the Basilica of Saint Rita, operating since 1956. Also known as Casa del Pellegrino (Pilgrim's House), it offers terraces, gardens, and a welcoming atmosphere specifically for pilgrims. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Hotel Monte Meraviglia ⭐⭐⭐ — Centrally located in Cascia, a four-minute walk from the basilica. Features the on-site Italian restaurant "Il Tartufo" serving local Umbrian specialties. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Palazzo Franceschini ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — A seventeenth-century residence featuring eighteenth-century frescoes, antique furniture, and a collection of manuscripts. Steps from both the Basilica and the Church of San Francesco. Complimentary continental breakfast. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
🚗 Getting There
By Air: The nearest airports are Perugia San Francesco d'Assisi (PEG), approximately 80 km, and Rome Fiumicino (FCO), approximately 150 km. From either airport, rental car is the most practical option.
By Train: Cascia is not served by rail. The nearest station is Spoleto, approximately 30 km away on the Rome-Ancona line. From Rome Termini, trains to Spoleto take approximately 90 minutes. From Spoleto, buses operated by Busitalia connect to Cascia.
By Bus: Busitalia-Sita Nord operates direct buses from Rome Tiburtina bus station to Cascia (approximately 3 hours, twice daily). From Spoleto or Norcia, local buses serve Cascia.
By Car: From Rome (150 km), take the A1 motorway toward Florence, exit at Orte, then follow the E45 toward Terni and Spoleto. From Spoleto, follow signs to Norcia and Cascia. The mountain roads are scenic but winding. Parking is available near the basilica.
📚 Further Reading
Books:
Joseph Sicardo. The Life of Saint Rita of Cascia — Classic biography of the saint with details of her miracles and devotion.
Online Resources:
Official Sanctuary of Santa Rita — Mass schedules, pilgrimage information, and history of the saint.
Roccaporena — Information on the pilgrimage sites in Saint Rita's birthplace.
Eucharistic Miracle of Cascia — Documentation from Blessed Carlo Acutis's exhibition.
🎥 Recommended Videos
Saint Rita of Cascia Documentary — Various documentaries exploring the life of the Saint of Impossible Cases.
Sanctuary of Saint Rita Virtual Tour — Tours of the basilica and monastery.
🔗 Useful Links
Sanctuary of Santa Rita — Official sanctuary website.
Diocese of Norcia — Diocesan website with pastoral information.
Umbria Tourism — Regional tourism portal.
🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations
Norcia (20 km) — Birthplace of Saint Benedict, father of Western monasticism. The basilica and monastery were damaged in the 2016 earthquake but remain a place of pilgrimage.
Assisi (65 km) — Birthplace of Saint Francis and Saint Clare, with the great basilicas housing their relics.
Spoleto (30 km) — Ancient cathedral city with the Duomo containing a letter written by Saint Francis.
Montefalco (40 km) — The "Balcony of Umbria" houses the incorrupt body of Saint Clare of Montefalco in the Church of Santa Chiara, with the miraculous cross found in her heart.
🪶 Closing Reflection
"Be devoted to the Passion of Christ. Reflect on it with compassion. In this way you will arrive at the peak of perfection." — Saint Rita of Cascia
