THE LIFE: Daughter of Prince Giulio Cesare Da Varano, Lord of Camerino, and of the noblewoman Cecchina di Mastro Giacomo. Raised and educated in her father's palace, she was also attracted by the worldly and pleasure-seeking life, as she herself wrote in her autobiography.When nine years old, after hearing a sermon on the Passion of the Franciscan Domenico da Leonessa, she vowed to shed a tear every Friday in memory of the Passion of Jesus. When eighteen years old she decided to retire to the religious life, but she lit up an internal fight,because she was also attracted by the joyful and frivolous life. Past and overcome the temptations, she decided for the convent. Her father, however, stubbornly denied the consent to the monastic life, so Camilla fell ill for seven months, not accepting her father's wishes, frustratingher plans in every way. After two years in which she received heavenly visions and she also achieved maturity and spiritual intensitytowards Christ, she could, with the consent of her father, wear the Franciscan habit in the monastery of St. Clare in Urbino, taking the name of Sister Battista on 14th November 1481. In 1484 she moved with some Sisters to Camerino, where she founded a monastery of Poor Claresin the old building of the Olivetani of Santa Maria Nova, which was renovated and expanded by her father for the occasion. In 1505 she founded another monastery in Fermo and after a two-year stay, she returned to Camerino. Later on she was weakened by physical infirmities and many inner suffering, such as aridity and temptations. But the greatest pain was caused by the revolt of Cesare Borgia in 1502, which led to the killing of her father and brothers. Camilla endured this all in the name of that faith which made her pray for the killers of her relatives. In that same period she received some mystical graces and the experience of a high contemplation, her writings are a vividtestimony of.
WHAT TO VISIT: City of art and nature, but also one of the oldest universities in Italy. The territory of Camerino is surrounded by historical and artistic treasures that give visitors the pleasure of discovery.