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The letters of Catherine Benincasa, commonly known as St. Catherine of Siena, have become an Italian classic yet perhaps the first thing in them to strike a reader is their unliterary character. He only will value them who cares to overhear the impetuous outpourings of the heart and mind of an unlettered daughter of the people, who was also, as it happened, a genius and a saint. Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, the other great writers of the Trecento, are all in one way or another intent on choice expression; Catherine is intent solely on driving home what she has to say. Her letters were talked rather than written. She learned to write only three years before her death, and even after this time was in the habit of dictating her correspondence, sometimes two or three letters at a time, to the noble youths who served her as secretaries.

Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), mystic and Doctor of the Church, wrote The Dialogue, her crowning spiritual work, for "the instruction and encouragement of all those whose spiritual welfare was her concern."

Letters of Catherine Benincasa is a collection of religious reflective letters by Saint Catarine. She is known as one of two patron saints of Italy, together with St. Francis of Assisi.

Table of Persons Addressed 6 Introduction: St Catherine of Siena as Seen in Her Letters 8 Chief Events in the Life of St. Catherine 21 Brief Outline of Contemporary Public Events 23 Letters To Monna Alessa dei Saracini 27 To Benincasa her brother, when he was in Florence 30 To the Venerable Religious, Brother Antonio of Nizza 32 To Monna Agnese, who was the wife of Messer Orso Malavolti 35 To Sister Eugenia, her niece at the Convent of St. Agnes of Montepulciano 41 To Nanna, daughter of Benincasa, a little maid, her niece 46 Letters on the Consecrated Life 49 To Brother William of England 51 To Daniella of Orvieto, Clothed with the Habit of St. Dominic 55 To Monna Agnese, wife of Francesco, a tailor of Florence 59 Letters in response to certain criticisms 60 To Monna Orsa, wife of Bartolo Usimbardi, and to Monna Agnese 61 To a Religious man in Florence, who was shocked at her Ascetic Practices 62 To Brother Bartolomeo Dominici 63 To Brother Matteo di Francesco Tolomei 66 To a Mantellata of Saint Dominic, called Catarina di Scetto 71 Letters To Neri di Landoccio dei Pagliaresi 73 To Monna Giovanna and her other daughters in Siena 76 To Messer John, the Soldier of Fortune 78 To Monna Colomba in Lucca 80 To Brother Raimondo of Capua, of the Order of the Preachers 83 To Gregory XI 87 To Gregory XI 94 To Gregory XI 98 To Brother Raimondo of Capua, at Avignon 101 To Catarina of the Hospital, and Giovanna di Capo 105 To Sister Daniella of Orvieto 108 To Brother Raimondo of Capua, and to Master John III 116 To Sister Bartolomea della Seta 119 To Gregory XI 123 To the King of France 125 Letters to Florence 128 To the Eight of War chosen by the Commune of Florence 129 To Buonaccorso di Lapo: written when the Saint was at Avignon 131 To Gregory XI 133 To Monna Lapa, her mother, before she returned from Avignon 138 To Monna Giovanna di Corrado Maconi 140 To Messer Ristoro Canigiani 143 To the Anziani and Consuls and Gonfalonieri of Bologna 152 To Nicholas of Osimo 155 To Misser Lorenzo del Pino of Bologna, Doctor in Decretals 160 Letters written from Rocca D'Orcia 164 To Monna Lapa, her mother, and to Monna Cecca 165 To Monna Catarina of the Hospital, and to Giovanna di Capo 166 To Monna Alessa, clothed with the Habit of Saint Dominic 168 To Gregory XI 170 To Raimondo of Capua 172 To Urban VI 177 To her spiritual children in Siena 181 To Brother William and to Messer Matteo of the Misericordia 182 To Sano di Maco, and to all her other sons in Siena 183 To Brother Raimondo of Capua 187 To Urban VI 189 To Don Giovanni of the Cells of Vallombrosa 192 Letters announcing peace 195 To Monna Alessa, when the Saint was at Florence 196 To Sano di Maco, and to the other sons in Christ 197 To three Italian Cardinals 198 To Giovanna, Queen of Naples 205 To Sister Daniella of Orvieto 212 To Stefano Maconi 216 To certain holy hermits who had been invited to Rome by the Pope 222 To Brother William of England, and to Brother Antonio of Nizza 223 To Brother Andrea of Lucca, Brother Baldo, and Brother Lando 224 To Brother Antonio of Nizza 226 To Queen Giovanna of Naples 228 To Brother Raimondo of the Preaching Order, when he was in Genoa 233 To Urban VI 240 Letters describing the experience preceding death 243 To Master Raimondo of Capua 246 To Master Raimondo of Capua, of the Order of the Preachers 249

St. Catherine of Siena (1347 - 1380) was an Italian mystic, who was part of the Dominican order. She was canonized in 1461, and is recognized as a Doctor of the Church. She was born in Siena, Italy, and early on wanted to devote herself solely to God as a nun, although this was against the will of her parents. She joined a group of pious women and soon became famous for mystical phenomena, such as an invisible stigmata, and a mystical marriage to Jesus Christ. She would come play a pivotal role in Pope Gregory XI's (d. 1378) decision to move the papacy from Avignon back to Rome. Through her numerous letters sent to princes and cardinals she was able to promote obedience to Pope Urban VI, whom she called the "vessel of the Church." These letters have become famous for providing a window into the spiritual counsel of one of the most celebrated female saints in the Catholic church. This work is a reproduction of "Saint Catherine of Siena as seen in her letters," by Catharine Benincasa, translated by Vida D. Scudder. J.M Dent and Co.: New York: E.P Dutton and Co., 1905. This work has been illustrated with artwork of the saint from the Renaissance period.