Agnes of Assisi

Agnes of Assisi (1197/1198 — 1253) was one of the founding members of the Poor Clares. Agnes eventually established the convent of Monticelli near Florence, then went on to establish orders in Verona, Padua, Venice, and Mantua. As one of the first women to be a Poor Clare and an abbess in several communities, she helped to shape the order and provided both an example and a space for the many women that would follow in her footsteps.