medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
St. Caesaria of Arles (d. 525?) was a sister of St. Caesarius of Arles. The little that is known about her comes from a letter from him to her, from his Vita (BHL 1508-1509), and from St. Venantius Fortunatus' Vita of St. Radegund (BHL 7048). Probably from the moment of his assumption of the see of Arles in 502 Caesarius intended to found in that city a women's monastery headed by his sister. According to her brother's Vita, Caesaria, who one has to assume was always a partner in this project, became a nun at Marseille in order to familiarize herself with monastic life and to learn what she would teach. When the monastery was finally ready in 512 Caesaria was called to direct it, using a rule that Caesarius (again very possibly with advice from Caesaria) had written for this institution.
Caesaria commissioned her brother's Vita. She had numerous disciples and ruled her house until her death a little over ten years later. She was succeeded by her homonym and probable niece St. Caesaria II (in the tradition of the church of Arles all the early abbesses of this house are saints) from whom St. Radegund in Poitiers received the rule used by Caesaria's strictly cloistered community. Venantius Fortunatus (_Carmina_, 8. 4) praises the elder Caesaria as a saint worthy of the company of Paulina, Agnes, Basilissa, and Eugenia. St. Gregory of Tours (_Historia Francorum_, 9. 40) calls her _beata_ (his corresponding epithet for the better known Caesarius is _sanctus_).
Best,
John Dillon
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