Maria Domitilla Galluzzi (1595–1671) was a Catholic mystic, never canonized. According to

E. Ann Matter E. Ann Matter (born December 29, 1949) is former Associate Dean for Arts & Letters and Professor of Religious Studies Emerita at the University of Pennsylvania. She specializes in Medieval Christianity, including mysticism, women and religion, se ...

, her foremost chronicler, Galluzzi entered her convent at Pavia, and after some time, began to experience ecstatic visions of

Christ's Passion In Christianity, the Passion (from the Latin verb ''patior, passus sum''; "to suffer, bear, endure", from which also "patience, patient", etc.) is the short final period in the life of Jesus Christ. Depending on one's views, the "Passion" m ...

. Amongst other miraculous events,

levitation Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact. Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...

is alleged to have occurred when Galluzzi rose to view a crucifix of Christ's Passion agonies through

supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

means. Matter notes that Galluzzi's work is based on the spiritual disciplines of Ignatius Loyola, although the seventeenth-century church investigated her for

orthodoxy Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Churc ...

. However, while Galluzzi survived this scrutiny, her mysticism and

piety Piety is a virtue which may include religious devotion or spirituality. A common element in most conceptions of piety is a duty of respect. In a religious context piety may be expressed through pious activities or devotions, which may vary among ...

was never recognized through beatification as a Catholic

saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

, due to

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...

Catholic rationalist tendencies and sceptical reception of alleged ecstatic visions. It may be instructive to compare her life to her contemporary, Cecilia Ferrazzi (1609–1684), to whom she bears many similarities and differences.

References

*E. Ann Matter: "Discourses of Desire: Sexuality and Christian Women's Visionary Narratives": ''Journal of Homosexuality'' 18 (1989–90): 119–132. *E. Ann Matter: "Theories of the Passions and the Ecstacies of Late Medieval Religious Women" in Lisa Perfetti (ed) ''The Representation of Women's Emotions in Medieval and Early Modern Culture'': Gainesville: University Press of Florida: 2005:

References

See also