Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Discovered in the mid-18th century beneath the ruins of the Monastery of Santa Caterina Martire extra moenia in San Vittorino (L’Aquila), the sculpture was rescued and kept in the Church of San Michele Arcangelo until 1904. It was then placed in the Town Hall of Pizzoli to protect it from theft. Mistakenly identified by scholars as Saint Balbina, the sculpture now regains its correct name. It is displayed here for the first time beside the panels depicting the Stories of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, with which it shares its original provenance. One hypothesis is that both artworks were part of the same tabernacle.