Saint Scholastica: The Iconography

At Monte Cassino, St. Scholastica, Virgin. She was the sister of St. Benedict the Abbot, who saw her soul leave her body in the form of a dove and ascend into Heaven. – Roman Martyrology for February 10

St. Scholastica was the sister of St. Benedict. She adapted his Rule to a convent she founded not far from his monastery. Portraits have her in a Benedictine habit, as at right, and with a crozier to signify her authority as abbess.

At the moment when Scholastica died in her convent, Benedict in his monastery had a vision of her soul ascending to Heaven as a dove. The vision is portrayed in the first picture at right, and it is because of the vision that the second picture uses a dove as an attribute. After her death, Benedict had her buried in his own monastery so that their bodies could be united in death as their souls had been in life image).

Prepared in 2015 by Richard Stracke, Emeritus Professor of English, Augusta University


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The Death of St. Scholastica, 1674 (See description page)


18th-century relief in Spain (See description page)


A portrait with St. Scholastica's attributes (See description page)

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  • Feast day: February 10
  • Died 543

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