Franceschella, also known as Ceccolella Bussa de’ Buxis de’ Leoni, was born in the Eternal City (Rome) in 1384. At the age of twelve, she was married to the wealthy nobleman Lorenzo dei Ponziani, with whom she had three children. Especially during the war between the supposed Pope John XXIII and Ladislao of Naples, in which Lorenzo was left disabled, the saint was able to carry out extensive charitable work thanks to her husband’s wealth, which she was free to use as she wished.
To better serve hospitals, she founded the congregation of the Olivetan Oblates of Santa Maria Nuova, later known as the Oblates of Tor de’ Specchi. Franceschella obtained approval for the foundation in 1433, and when her husband died three years later, she joined the congregation herself and became its superior general. She died in Rome on March 9, 1440, and was canonized in 1608.
Franceschella, a cultured and well-educated woman, managed to balance extraordinary activity with an intense mystical life.
