Maria Goretti

About

Regarded as a Roman Catholic saint and martyr, this Italian woman was murdered at the age of eleven by an acquaintance after resisting the man's attempt at assault and therefore, in her church's view, saving both herself and the man from the mortal sin of premarital physical relations.

Before Fame

Prior to her murder, she shared a home nicknamed "La Cascina Antica" with the family of her future killer. Sadly, her father died of malaria before her tenth birthday and was therefore unable to protect her during her attack.

Trivia

Her murderer, Alessandro Serenelli, spent several years in prison for the crime and later repented and pursued a monastic life. She was canonized by the church nearly five decades after her death.

Family Life

Born in Corinaldo in eastern Italy, she relocated with her farmer parents to Nettuno, western Italy, when she was six years old. Her parents, Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini, had six other children: Angelo, Antonio, Mariano, Ersilia, Teresa, and Alessandro.

Associated With

She was a contemporary of Chilean nun and fellow canonized woman Saint Teresa.