Stock Photo: Saint Zita, d. 1278
Mummified body of St. Zita (d. 1278) in a chapel in the back of the nave. Mentioned by Dante in the Inferno, Zita was very popular in the Middle Ages. According to legend, she was a maid for the noble Fatinelli family who was caught stealing bread from the Fatinelli's cupboard to give to the poor. But when asked what she was carrying, she said it was only flowers, and upon investigation the bread had indeed miraculously turned into flowers. The miracle of St. Zita is celebrated each April with the blessing of the daffodils, which fill the streets around the church. Basilica di San Frediano, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy.
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