Saint Nicholas of Tolentino

Nicholas de Tolentino, an Italian saint from the 13th century, belonged to the Order of Saint Augustine. In this painting, he wears the typical attire of the Augustinians. The tiny stars adorning the textile allude to a nocturnal episode in which they guided him to a church. 

On the left, he holds a lily, a symbol of virtue. 

In this hand, he also carries a plate with a bird. This attribute commemorates one of the most notable scenes from his life. In his final days, sick and confined to his cell, he resisted eating. His superiors sent him a roasted partridge, and through a miracle, he revived it. 

He gained renown as a miraculous saint due to this scene, although it is possible that the episode is inspired by the life of his namesake, Saint Nicholas of Bari, who revived three children who were about to be taken as food. 

Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, like the Virgin of Carmen and Archangel Saint Michael, is recognized as a protector of the souls in Purgatory. 

This belief is based on an alleged vision in which a deceased friar from the Sant’Angelo convent in Tolentino asked him to pray and offer Masses for the salvation of him and other souls in Purgatory. 

After eight days, Saint Nicholas experienced another vision in which the same friar and the other souls explicitly expressed gratitude for his intercession on their behalf. 

The devotion to this saint gained great significance in the Catholic world, leading to the construction of churches and chapels, as well as the founding of brotherhoods in his honor.