Saint Florentina (d. ca. 612) is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. Born towards the middle of the sixth century, she and her family were actively engaged in furthering the best interests of Christianity. Events Saint Columbanus moves to Italy to establish the monastery of Bobbio (approximate date). ... In traditional Christian iconography, Saints are often depicted as having halos. ... The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ... (5th century — 6th century — 7th century — other centuries) Events The first academy of the east the Academy of Gundeshapur founded in Persia by the Persian Shah Khosrau I. Irish colonists and invaders, the Scots, began migrating to Caledonia (later known as Scotland) Glendalough monastery, Wicklow Ireland founded... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ...

Florentina was the sister of three Spanish bishops in the time of the Visigothic dominion (Leander, Isidore of Seville, and Fulgentius), she consecrated her virginity to God, and all four have been canonized by the Church. Saint Leander of Seville (Cartagena, ca 534 - Seville, March 13, 600 or 601), the brother of the encyclopedist, Isidore of Seville, was the Catholic bishop of Seville who was instrumental in effecting the conversion to Catholicism of Reccared the Visigothic king of Spain. ... Saint Isidore of Seville (Spanish: or ) (c. ... Saint Fulgentius of Écija ( San Fulgencio de Écija) was Bishop of Ecija (Astigi), in Spain, at the beginning of the seventh century. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article discusses the process of declaring saints. ...

She was younger than her brother Leander, later Archbishop of Seville, but older than Isidore, who succeeded Leander as archbishop of the same see.

Before his elevation to the episcopal dignity, Leander had been a monk, and it was through his influence that Florentina embraced the ascetic life. She associated with herself a number of virgins, who also desired to forsake the world, and formed them into a religious community. Later sources declare their residence to have been the convent of S. Maria de Valle near Ecija (Astigis), of which city her brother Fulgentius was bishop. The word ascetic derives from the ancient Greek term askesis (practice, training or exercise). ... Écija is a city belonging to the province of Seville, Spain. ...

In any case, it is certain that she had consecrated herself to God before the year 600, as her brother Leander, who died either in the year 600 or 601, wrote for her guidance an extant work dealing with a nun's rule of life and with contempt for the world ("Regula sive Libellus de institutione virginum et de contemptu mundi ad Florentinam sororem", P.L. LXXII, 873 sqq.). In it the author lays down the rules according to which cloistered virgins consecrated to God should regulate their lives. He strongly advises them to avoid interaction with women living in the world, and with men, especially youths; recommends strict temperance in eating and drinking, gives advice concerning the reading of and meditation on Holy Scripture, enjoins equal love and friendship for all those living together in community, and exhorts his sister earnestly to remain true to her holy state. The population of the Earth rises to about 208 million people. ...

Florentina regulated her life according to the advice of her brother, entered with fervour into the spirit of the religious life, and was honoured as a saint after her death. Her younger brother Isidore also dedicated to her his work "De fide catholica contra Judæos", which he wrote at her request. Florentina died early in the seventh century and is venerated as the patroness of the diocese of Plasencia. Her feast falls on 20 June. The name is written Florentia in the Roman martyrology, but Florentina is without doubt the correct form. Plasencia is a walled market city in the province of Cáceres, in Western Spain. ...

External links

• Florentina at the Catholic Encyclopedia

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.