Why go
Agnes gives a second perspective on the Poor Clares. After joining Clare near Assisi, she went to lead a community at Monticelli and helped extend the movement to other Italian cities. Her remains are associated with the Basilica of Saint Clare, making that church a place to consider both sisters together.
The full story
Agnes was probably born Caterina, a younger daughter of the same Assisi family as Clare. Soon after Clare left home in 1212, she followed her to the Benedictine monastery of Sant'Angelo in Panzo. Accounts of relatives trying to force her return include miraculous details; they should be read as religious tradition rather than verified events. Francis gave her the name Agnes and a religious habit. The sisters then joined the small community at San Damiano. Clare remained its leader, while Agnes took on a different role. In 1221, she went to Monticelli, near Florence, to lead women who wanted to follow their form of life. The account also connects her with communities in Mantua, Venice and Padua. Agnes returned to care for Clare during her final illness and died later in 1253. Remembering her at the Basilica of Saint Clare adds a wider map to the story of San Damiano: a movement formed in Assisi had already taken root elsewhere during the sisters' lifetimes.