GUIDO DA CORTONA, Blessed
Born in Cortona to a noble family around 1187, he died there on 12 June 1247. He was admitted into the Franciscan Order by Saint Francis himself during the latter’s first preaching mission in Cortona in 1211. He then retired to the solitary Convent of the Cells near the same city, of which he may rightly be considered the founder. After being ordained a priest, he devoted himself to the ministry of preaching at the express direction of the seraphic patriarch.
After his death he performed numerous miracles. His cult was approved by Gregory XIII in 1583 for the diocese of Cortona and by Innocent XII for the Franciscan Order at large.
BIBL.: Acta SS. Iunii, II, Antwerp 1698, pp. 601-607; N. Bruni, Le religie del b. G. da C., compagno di s. Francesco, al lume della leggenda e della scienza, Cortona 1947 (with complete bibliography). Riccardo Pratesi