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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The name “Ángela” alone does not identify one person. The subject this article covers is Angela of Foligno, a medieval Italian mystic from the late 13th and early 14th centuries, now venerated as Saint Angela of Foligno. Vatican sources place her birth around 1248 and her death on 4 January 1309, and Vatican News reports her canonization by equivalence on 9 October 2013. If you were looking for a documentary titled Ángela, this article does not cover it, because the sources available for this piece do not establish one.
Why the name needs a referent
“Ángela” is a common given name, shared by many people in politics, public life, and the arts. Searching the name alone returns unrelated people, including the British politician Angela Eagle and the American activist and scholar Angela Davis. Treat any article that uses only this name as a prompt to check which person is meant. The rest of this piece assumes the Italian mystic, the only figure with that name who is documented in the Vatican sources used here.
Who she was
Pope Benedict XVI, in his General Audience of 13 October 2010, described Angela as “a great medieval mystic who lived in the 13th century.” He placed her birth around 1248 in a well-off family in Foligno, a town in Umbria. He says she married at about age 20 and had children. Vatican News gives a more exact birth date, 4 January 1248. The two sources differ in precision, so “about 1248” is the safer form unless a specialist source confirms the day.
The chronology of her conversion
Her turn toward religious life was a gradual process rather than one moment. The sources agree on the broad sequence below; the 2010 audience is the source for the earthquake, the hurricane, and the conflict with Perugia, and Vatican News adds the pilgrimage to Assisi.
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| Date | Event as described in the sources | Source |
|---|---|---|
| About 1248 | Birth in a well-off family in Foligno | Benedict XVI, 13 October 2010; Vatican News gives 4 January 1248 |
| 1279 | An earthquake, followed by a hurricane and the conflict with Perugia, is linked to her growing religious concern | Benedict XVI, 13 October 2010 |
| Not stated | Confession, then the deaths of further family members, followed by the sale of her possessions | Benedict XVI, 13 October 2010 |
| Not stated | Pilgrimage to Assisi | Vatican News profile |
| 1291 | Entry into the Third Order of St. Francis | Benedict XVI, 13 October 2010; Vatican News |
| 4 January 1309 | Death | Benedict XVI, 13 October 2010; Vatican News |
The Vatican sources describe penance, humility, and suffering as central to this period. They do not give exact dates for the confession, the family deaths, or the pilgrimage, so those events should be read as part of an ordered sequence rather than as dated events.
Her writings and how they reached us
Two texts are associated with Angela, and the sources treat them differently.
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- The Book of Visions and Instructions of Blessed Angela of Foligno. Benedict XVI describes this as a collection of documentation about her, recounting her conversion and experiences. It is not presented as a single, self-written account.
- The Memorial. Vatican News attributes this to Arnaldo, her confessor and biographer, and says it divides her vocation and experiences into thirty stages.
Because a confessor recorded and shaped much of this material, it is not an unmediated autobiography. Readers should understand the texts as records written by people close to her, not as a diary in her own hand. When choosing a reading edition, check that it is a translation of the Memorial or the Book of Visions and Instructions and states its translator and editorial notes. The sources used here establish that these works exist and how they relate to her life, but do not confirm any particular modern edition.
Her status: from “Blessed” to Saint
The 2010 General Audience calls her “Blessed Angela of Foligno,” which was the correct title at that time. Vatican News reports that Pope Francis canonized her by equivalence on 9 October 2013. Current Catholic usage is therefore “Saint Angela of Foligno.” Older books and articles, including the 2010 audience, may still use “Blessed.”
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Vatican News gives a short statement attributed to Angela: “My place is in the world.” The profile presents it as a conviction that accompanied her life. The wording comes through that profile, and this article has not verified it against an earlier manuscript or edition.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the sources do not establish
- No documentary titled Ángela about Angela of Foligno was identified in the sources for this article.
- The sources do not provide statistics, studies, or population figures about her; the figures they give are dates and counts such as 1291, 30 stages, and 9 October 2013.
- The two main sources are a papal audience and a Vatican News profile. Both are official Catholic publications, which means they present her life from a devotional and institutional perspective.
If you have a different “Ángela” in mind, such as a film, a musician, or a politician, send the surname, the year, or the country, and the article’s focus can be matched to that person.
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Benedict XVI’s 2010 audience and the Vatican News profile are the two sources to start with if you want to read further on Angela of Foligno’s life.
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