When Was Saint Rosalia Born?

Rosalia, also called La Santuzza or "The Little Saint", and in Sicilian as "Rusulia", is the patron saint of Palermo in Italy, Camargo, Chihuahua, and three towns in Venezuela: El Hatillo, Zuata, and Anzoátegui. She is especially important internationally as a saint invoked in times of plague.

How did Saint Rosalia become a saint?

In 1624, a plague beset Palermo. During this hardship Rosalia reportedly appeared first to a sick woman, then to a hunter, to whom she indicated where her remains were to be found. ... After this Rosalia was venerated as the patron saint of Palermo, and a sanctuary was built in the cave where her remains were discovered.

Why does Saint Rosalia carry a skull?

Saint Rosalia is often depicted wearing a course woolen cloth, typical of the Augustine nuns with a cord or rope tied around her waist (fig. 1) symbolizing her hermit life. ... The skull Saint Rosalia holds is also a symbol of her lost remains, which were later found and paraded around the city of Palermo to end a plague.