Did you know . . . that Lucca is home to the bodies of two mummified/‘incorruptible’ saints? Saint Zita began her life as a peasant girl who went to work as a servant in Lucca at age of 12. She was known for her sunny demeanor, work ethic, and for giving leftover bread to the poor.
The story most often related to Zita concerns her distribution of bread to the poor. One day, as she was smuggling bread from the home of the family she worked for, a fellow servant ratted her out. When the head of the family pulled open her apron, instead of bread, only flowers fell to the ground. According to legend, when she died at age 60, the church bells spontaneously began to toll. Besides being the patron saint of Lucca, she is also patron saint of servants and lost keys. The church of San Frediano is where her body lies, dressed and in full view. She died in 1272 and her feast day is celebrated on April 27 when many families back a loaf of bread in her memory. Read more here.
The second saint lies in the church of Saint Michele in Foro. Saint Davino Armeno and is one of the oldest Italian mummies of a saint. Davino’s story is one of a long journey which took him from Armenia to Jerusalem and Rome. Not much is known about his life, except for his pilgrimages and giving to the poor. He was on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain when arrived in Lucca where he fell ill and died on 3 June, 1050. Read more here.
Submitted by Christine Stava
