Cecilia

Cecilia, St., the patron saint of music, is said to have suffered martyrdom in the year 230 A.D. Becoming converted to Christianity, she refused to offer sacrifices to idols, and for this was condemned to death. She is also credited with being the inventor of the organ, and in the Roman Catholic Church her festival, November 22nd, is musically celebrated. Her story is the subject of one of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales; Dryden and Pope have also sung in her honour. Painters, too, have depicted her, the most celebrated being Raphael, Dolce, Domenichino, and Rubens.