Письма (Letters)

Saint Ekaterina Siena (1347-1380), the Italian religious activity and the writer belongs to the number of figures that determine the appearance of the era into which she fell away. The scale of the Personality of Catherine is such that today interest does not fade into her. Her biography and essays are studied in different countries, and not only drive, and its image and ideas inspired many cultural figures: artists who captured the holy on their canvases (among them - both contemporaries of Catherine Andrea Banny, Giovanni di Paolo and many later painters ), and writers who devoted to it entire works (in particular, M.I. Tchaikovsky, A.M. Allen, A.R. Bandini) Ekaterina Siena is recognized by the Heavenly patroness of Rome, Italy (along with St. Francis of Assisi), the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the media and communications. All over the world are society, monastic congregations and communities called the name of Catherine.
As the author of literary works, Ekaterina Siena is known first of all with his letters she sent for ten years (since 1370 and up to his death) This is a rare sample of medieval religious prose, belonging to Peru a nun and distinguished by undoubted artistic advantages. The letters are addressed by the most important political, public, religious problems of that era: the transfer of the Holy Throne from Avignon to Rome and the fight against the split inside the Church, the reconciliation of the church and secular authorities, the reform of the Church, the relationship between Italian cities, the establishment of peace in Italy. We only have to be surprised that the modest Dominican nun, which received a very limited education, was able not only to understand the urgent problems of his time, but also significantly affect their decision. The addressees of its letters, in addition to ordinary people (her relatives, acquaintances, sisters on the Order, monks of other orders, etc), there were Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, royal blood, representatives of the aristocracy and urban power, people of art.
Letters of Catherine Siena - not only invaluable testimony of her inner life, but also an important historical source, a document of the epoch, in which a unique compound of mystical and historical began. The influence of Catherine is indisputable and the influence of Catherine on a spiritual tradition, confirmed in 1970 by the saint (first of women, along with Teresa Avilsk) to the number of teachers of the Church.
The publication is provided with an article about Catherine Siena, notes that referring to spiritual primary sources and clarifying the concepts and realities of the second half of the XIV century, as well as a pointer of names and full-color illustrations, including the cycle of work Paolo, written on the occasion of the canonization of the holy, and A complete set of thumbnails (100 pieces) from a unique manuscript of her live XV century