FLORENTINA, Saint. — Sister of St. LEANDRO, St. FULGENZIO, and St. ISIDORO, born in Cartagena, died around 612. In 554 she moved to Seville.
She was a nun in a monastery near the city; St. Leandro wrote for her the *De institutione virginum*, a warm encomium on virginity and a manual of ascetic discipline, which was accepted as a rule by several women’s monasteries. At the request of F. St. Isidoro wrote the *De fide catholica contra Iudaeos*. Her feast is celebrated on June 20. She is the patroness of the diocese of Plasencia. Her relics are venerated at Écija and at Murcia.
BIBL.: J. Perez de Urbel, *Los monjes españoles en la edad media*, I, 2nd ed., Madrid 1945, pp. 222-231; A. C. Vega, *El De institutione virginum de s. Leandro de Sevilla con diez capítulos y medio inéditos*, in *La Ciudad de Dios*, 156 (1947), pp. 273-294.