TERESA MARGHERITA dell'INCARNAZIONE. - Discalced Carmelite, Princess Caterina Farnese, born in Piacenza to Odoardo and Margherita Medici, Dukes of Parma, on 5 Sept. 1637; died there on 27 Apr. 1684.
Ardent and impulsive by nature, she grew up rebellious and independent, courted for her uncommon gifts and rare beauty. Sought in marriage by Archduke Massimiliano of Tyrol and by the King of England, despite the pressure exerted by her brother Ranuccio, she would not yield, considering herself superior to any match. On 22 March 1662, touched by Grace, she entered Carmel, where, faithful to her resolve “to obey without wishing to know anything else,” through harsh and continual struggle and heroic penances, she succeeded in overcoming her indomitable character, binding herself to God by the formal vow always to do what was most perfect.