Saint Virginia icon, Handmade Greek Catholic icon of St Virginia Centurione Bracelli, Byzantine art wall hanging, religious gift, Orthodox Home Decor

Bring the spiritual elegance of Byzantine art into your home with this exquisite, handmade Greek Orthodox icon of Saint Virginia. Crafted with reverence, this piece makes a profound addition to any prayer corner or a deeply meaningful religious gift.

Product Specifications

• Craftsmanship: This Catholic icon is a lithography with a double layer of varnish for vivid colors and water resistance depicting Saint Virginia. It is a God-inspired work that follows the Athonite technique, which gives the icon its religious and aesthetic value.
• Display: Can be hung on a wall or placed on a flat surface.

The Significance of Saint Virginia

Saint Virginia Centurione Bracelli (2 April 1587 – 15 December 1651) was an Italian Roman Catholic from Genoa. Her father was the Doge of Genoa and she had a short marriage due to being widowed in 1607.

Virginia Centurione was born on 2 April 1587 in Genoa and was of noble origins. She was the daughter of Giorgio Centurione (who was the Doge of Genoa from 1621 to 1623) and Lelia Spinola.

Despite her desire to live a cloistered life, she was forced into marriage to Gaspare Grimaldi Bracelli, who was a rich noble, on 10 December 1602. She had two daughters: Lelia and Isabella. The marriage did not last long, for she became a widow on 13 June 1607 at the age of 20. She refused another arranged marriage brought on due to her father's influence and took up a vow to live a chaste life.

After her husband's death she began charitable works and assisted the poor and the sick. To help alleviate the poverty in her town she founded the "Cento Signore della Misericordia Protettrici dei Poveri di Gesù Cristo". The center was soon overrun with people suffering from the famine and plague of 1629–30 and soon she had to rent the Monte Calvario convent to accommodate all the people that came in. Around 1635 the center was caring for over 300 patients and received recognition as a hospital from the government. Due to declining funds given from the middle and upper classes the institute lost its government recognition in 1647. Bracelli spent the remainder of her life acting as a peacemaker between noble houses and continuing her work for the poor.

Bracelli died on 15 December 1651 at the age of 64.