Chiesa della Beata Caterina Mattei

The Church of the Blessed Caterina Mattei in Racconigi stands beside the house associated with the mystic and silk weaver, born in 1486. The complex includes her former home and an adjoining church built in the nineteenth century.

Why it matters

Caterina Mattei is a local figure whose religious life is connected with Racconigi's silk-working tradition. The house preserves objects associated with her weaving, while the church reflects the devotion that developed after her beatification in 1808. The site links the town's craft history with a religious cult rooted in its urban fabric.

What to notice

A chapel in the former house contains an urn with objects associated with Caterina, including scissors and silk threads. The larger church preserves a portrait of the Blessed by Rosa Caccia and other devotional paintings. An inscription records the laying of the church's first stone on 4 September 1836.

Context and history

Caterina was born in 1486 in the San Giovanni quarter, where her father's workshop was also located. She lived in Racconigi until 1523, when she moved to Caramagna Piemonte and sold the house to the Dominicans. Pope Pius VII beatified her in 1808. The Compagnia dei devoti acquired the house in 1812 and converted her room into an oratory. With land granted by Carlo Alberto, the confraternity began a larger church after the cholera epidemic of 1835; its first stone was laid in 1836. The house was restored by the municipality in 1986.