About Cecilia Cesarini
Lived 1200 – 1290. Cecilia Cesarini was a nun.
Cecilia Cesarini (1203–1290), also Caecilia, was a Dominican nun. Cecilia, described as "a high-spirited young Roman",
As part of Dominic's reform of monastic life in the 13th century, when Cecilia was 17 years old, her monastery, Santa Maria in Rome, was moved to San Sisto Vecchio, under the Dominican order. She knew Dominic personally. She used her family's influence to assist his reforms, urged her prioress to support his cause, and according to tradition, was the first to receive the Dominican habit. Two years later, in 1223 or 1224, she and three other nuns, including Diana degli Andalò and Amata, were sent to Bologna to found a new monastery, St. Agnes, where she remained until her death. She was the monastery's first prioress, and was reported to be "very strict".
Cecilia died in 1290. She was buried at St. Agnes with Andalò and Amata; the three are always associated together. Their relics were transferred several times but always together. They were beatified in 1891. Her feast day is, depending on the source, is August 4.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Cecilia Cesarini's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Cecilia Cesarini?
Italian Dominican nun
When was Cecilia Cesarini born?
Cecilia Cesarini was born in 1200 in Rome.
When did Cecilia Cesarini die?
Cecilia Cesarini died on 4 August 1290 in Bologna.
What was Cecilia Cesarini's occupation?
Cecilia Cesarini was a nun.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Cecilia Cesarini. https://biography.guide/cecilia-cesarini/
MLA: "Cecilia Cesarini." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/cecilia-cesarini/.
Chicago: "Cecilia Cesarini." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/cecilia-cesarini/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-24 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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