Cascia

Cascia, a small town in the Valnerina in the province of Perugia, was founded in Roman times and experienced a period of splendour in the Middle Ages. It belonged to the Trinci family, came under the rule of Frederick II of Swabia and was later fought over by neighbouring towns. In 1500, it passed to the Papal States, then regaining its independence. Cascia is the town of Saint Rita: nun who lived between 1381 and 1457 and known as a dispenser of graces venerated all over the world. In Cascia one can visit the shrine dedicated to her and, nearby, in the mountain village of Roccaporena, the saint's house, transformed into a chapel, which holds the memories of her life as a young woman, a bride, a mother and, after the cruel murder of her husband, a widow. You can also visit the prayer rock where she meditated, the rose garden and the miracle garden, where, a few days before her death during a cold winter, a rose bloomed and a fig tree ripened.