Sant'Agnese~ The Church of Saint Agnes of Montepulciano

 This church, just outside the city wall, is where I have been attending Sunday mass.  I love going to mass in Italy!  I enjoy following along, using the little Italian leaflet that has the standard liturgy, etc.  I helps me with my Italian. 

The church has a distinctive exterior, in the striped black and white marble.  There are documents that describe the permission to build this church and the small attached convent in 1306.  Saint Agnes of Montepulciano is quite interesting.  She lived from 1268-1317, a life filled with prayer, contemplation, and miracles.  She was born to the noble Segni family in the city of Gracciano, Tuscany.  A spiritually precocious girl, she pleaded with her parents to join a religious order at the age of 9.  Her parents actually had to get special permission from Rome to allow such a young girl to join the rather distastefully named order "The Sisters of the Sack", named after the rough clothes they wore.  Ugh.  Wretched.  Anyway.... she was fabulous at this and soon became a prioress.  She developed an illness.  Most likely psoriasis, ennui, and a basic lack of verve because of this 'sack' thing.  They pleaded with her to 'take the waters', which she did, but it didn't work.  She died at the age of 49.  It is written that they tried to preserve her body with myrrh, which was not needed apparently.  Her incorrupt body, along with her wretched, beat up, worm eaten, 'sack' clothes, are now in a tomb above the altar.

This is all fabulous stuff, if you ask me:

The church also has some brilliant works of art, like this Madonna del latte from the 15th century:

I love this whole genre of 'breast feeding Jesus' paintings.  So fab!!

Other gorgeous objets!  But by far my favorite aspect of the church the the KNEELERS!!!  The  padded bits are on hinges so you can decided just how much suffering you think you deserve:

The Church of Saint Agnese is also the place where the teams for the annual Bravio delle Botti (the big wine keg rolling contest) are blessed and so the church hangs the flags of all the neighborhoods:

So glorious, darlings!  Ci vediamo!