Entering the room, on the left, preceded by the canvas of Blessed Giovanni Colombini by Alessandro Casolani, you see the first of the three large scenes that decorate the wall, painted by Pietro Sorri in 1587 and featuring Catherine Freeing a Girl Possessed by a Devil. The Saint herself was tempted by the devil on several occasions, but, with the help of divine grace, she never yielded to his attacks.
The next painting, by Cristoforo Roncalli, known as Pomarancio, dated 1582, shows Saint Catherine miraculously receiving Holy Communion. The scene takes place in the Basilica of San Domenico, where during Mass, at the moment when the priest breaks the Bread, Jesus Christ manifested Himself to Catherine and gave Himself to her, flooding her with a ray of light. At various times during her life, Saint Catherine received the Eucharist directly from Jesus. In contrast with the custom of her time, Catherine was used to taking Communion every day, turning to her confessor with the words, “Father, I’m hungry.” She considered the consecrated Host to be her soul’s nourishment and an extraordinary gift of love which God renews to us constantly as fuel for our journey of faith.
The third painting, by Lattanzio Bonastri around 1580, bears witness to Catherine’s mercy towards the imprisoned and those sentenced to death, whom she visited periodically, always seeking the conversion of their souls. In this scene, the Saint is shown as she asks the Lord for salvation for two criminals being led to the scaffold, amid the torments inflicted on them by a host of demons. Higher up, the clouds part and Jesus appears with the Cross on His shoulders, an evident reference to His Passion and an allusion to the suffering the two men are about to undergo. The story in the Legenda Major which is the source for this picture continues with the repentance and conversion of the men, who face death courageously, accepting the Lord’s will and making it their own.
The series of works on the left wall concludes with a panel painting of Blessed Ambrogio Sansedoni by Gaetano Marinelli, dated 1872.