• Around 1630, Cardinal Antonio Barberini (1569-1646) had Andrea Sacchi renovate this space. This also involved moving here the room where St. Catherine of Siena died (April 29, 1380) from nearby Via. S. Chiara 14

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• The body of St. Catherine of Siena is in a tomb under the main altar in this church

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• Although a lay woman (third order of St. Dominic) from a large poor family and illiterate for most of her life, St. Catherine (1347-1380) played a major role in the politics of her age. She encouraged the last Avignon Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome which he soon did. Later, during the Western Schism, Pope Urban VI invited her to Rome to enlist her aid