SAINT CAJETAN’S ALTAR

From the noble family of Thiene, Saint Cajetan was born in Vicenza in 1480. He studied law in Padova University and Pope Giulio II asked him to go to Rome to be the personal secretary and a protonotary apostolic. Inspired by the mountain speech and by the apostolic church model, saint Gaetano renounced his material assets to focus on community life, the apostolate among the poor and the restoration of the clerical and religion life. He brought the “Fellowship of the Divine Love” in Rome, where in 1524, he founded the “Congregation of the Theatines clerics”.

The religious order of Theatines was introduced in Rimini in the first years following the Council of Trent, for the new pastoral needs, promoted by the new reform and by the Diocesan bishops. Their presence in Rimini brought new ways of devotion and new saint’s icons for the altars. Among these saint there is Saint Gaetano. The procedures for his beatification were started by Pope Urban VIII, in the 17th century and the sanctification was announced in 1671 by Clement X. Nowadays he is still worshipped as a Saint of Providence.

In this piece, commissioned by Melchiorri family from Santarcangelo, was originally ment for Santissima Annunziata Church. Here Saint Cajetan is wearing a clerical suit, with a black cloth and is accompained by an angel holding a lily flower, the symbol of purity.