November 25th: Feast of Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Saint Catherine of Alexandria
by Raphael.

The feast of Saint Catherine of Alexandria is celebrated every year in Deruta on the 25th of November. All the workshops are closed for the holiday. It is the most important day of the year for the artists in Deruta because Saint Catherine is the Saint Patron of ceramicists.

As you may notice from this painting by Raffaello the Saint is leaning on a wheel, the tool by which she was tortured. The wheel is what distinguishes Deruta, where round pieces like bowls, cups, pitchers, vases, anything in the round shape are handthrown on the wheel.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria was also a very popular Saint in the Renaissance. She was considered as a very educated, wise and refined woman of noble origins. She was also considered as an ideal woman to marry.

But the only marriage we know of is the spiritual marriage with Christ. A beautiful painting by the artist Parmigianino depicts Saint Catherine receiving the wedding ring from Jesus in the arms of the Virgin Mary.

Saint Catherine was born in the 3rd Century A.D. and she is venerated in several fields of the arts and crafts.

A curiosity: this year the celebration of Saint Catherine takes place on the same day of Thanksgiving in the United States. November 25th falls on a Thursday!

Saint Catherine of Alexandria by
Francesco Mazzola known as "Parmigianino". 

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Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

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August 10th: Feast of Saint Lawrence

Saint Lawrence is a very important Saint to the city of Perugia. The Cathedral of Perugia is dedicated to this Saint who died as a martyr in the 3rd Century A.D.

Saint Lawrence e is also important to us: our founder at Cama, Mr. Pompeo Niccacci was born on this date in the second half of the 19th century. In the night of this date we look for falling stars and we think of our great grand father.