the seven mansions of st teresa of avila

Teresa used to allude to the seven stages that need to be integrated on a soul’s journey to total communion with God. There they grew vegetables as well as medicinal herbs used to make their renowned herbal remedy called “Melissa.” In 2014, that centuries-old garden was restructured to replicate the seven “houses” that St. Since their arrival in Venice in the 17th century, they have maintained a vegetable garden near the Church of St. The first Carmelite friars escaped the Holy Land after a Saracen invasion in the 13th century and established themselves in mainland Europe. The Carmelite Order was founded in 1200 near Mt. The Order of Carmelite Friars in Venice, Italy, has created a “Mystical Garden” with seven flower beds, each representing one of the mansions of St. Today, you can visit a place that has actually turned her literary allegory into reality. Teresa of Jesus, as she is often referred to, imagined our soul as a castle-shaped diamond containing seven houses or mansions, each representing a step in the journey that leads to total union with God.Ī monastery garden based on a saint’s vision Her seminal work, completed in 1588, is titled The Interior Castle and provides imaginative insights on how to lead a fulfilling life in communion with God. Joseph in Avila, Spain, and compiled a series of texts that have become a staple of Catholic literature. Born a Spanish noblewoman, the Carmelite sister founded the monastery of St. Teresa of Avila is one of the most important female saints of Catholicism.

The seven mansions of st teresa of avila