Domenica Narducci

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Domenica Narducci, known in religion as Domenica of Paradise (1473–1553), was an Italian Dominican nun. She was born on September 3, 1473, in the Bandino area of Florence, the daughter of Tommaso di Jacopo Narducci, a farmer who worked in the gardens of Chiesa di Santa Brigida al Paradiso.

In 1499 she left an abusive life on a Tuscan farm and found refuge in the Dominican convent of Paradiso. After taking her vows, she had visions of Jesus that inspired her to found a new convent. There she became known for her deep piety and even helped the Medici family in spiritual matters.

She advocated for reforms within the Dominican Order’s Second Order and was an outspoken critic of the First Order’s support of the controversial preacher Girolamo Savonarola. In 1515 she established the Convento della Crocetta in Florence. She remained an influential figure in Italian religious life and exchanged correspondence with Popes Paul III and Clement VII.

Domenica Narducci died in Florence in 1553, remembered for holiness. Many Florentines believed she had protected people from the plague. Her cause for beatification began in 1624. The process for her heroic virtue was handled by the Antepreparatory Congregation and was suspended in 1761 amid concerns that the case had been mishandled by its advocates.