Baptista Varani
Italian beatified abbess
Who they were
Camilla Baptista Varani was born at Camerino on 9 April 1458, daughter of Julius Caesar Varano, Duke of Camerino. Moved by the preaching of Blessed Peter of Mogliano, she resisted her father's plans for a brilliant marriage, even when he imprisoned her, until he gave way. In 1481 she entered the Poor Clares at Urbino, and later became first abbess of a new monastery her father founded at Camerino, where she brought back the original strict observance of the rule.
She was a gifted writer in Latin and Italian, whose spiritual works, including an account of her own conversion and a work on the inner sufferings of Christ, were admired by St. Philip Neri and St. Alphonsus. She died at Camerino on 31 May 1527. Her long-standing veneration was approved by Gregory XVI in 1843.
The miracles
The Catholic Encyclopedia does not describe the miracles approved in the cause.
Why that counted as sanctity
A duke's daughter who became a Poor Clare abbess and a noted spiritual writer.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
Connected on this site
- Camilla Battista da Varano Saint“Camilla Battista da Varano OSCl, (9 April 1458 – 31 May 1524), from Camerino, Italy, was an Italian princess and a Poor Clare nun and abbess.” — Wikipedia
- Philip Neri Saint“Philip Neri and St.” — this site's research
- Peter of Mogliano Blessed“Moved by the preaching of Blessed Peter of Mogliano, she resisted her father's plans for a brilliant marriage, even when he imprisoned her, until he gave way.” — this site's research
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Blessed Baptista Varani
- Roman Martyrology, 31 May (Italian Bishops' Conference, Santo del giorno)
- Wikidata Q4857709 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Baptista Varani (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.