The Servites, or Servants of Mary, are a mendicant order founded by seven citizens of Florence: Buonagiunta, Buonfiglio, Amadio, Manetto, Uguccione, Sostegno, and Alessio Falconieri, joined later by Saint
Philip Benizi. In 1233 they began to live their Christian faith more intensely, with a special devotion to Our Lady, the Mother of Jesus. According to legend, Our Lady herself appeared to these seven men, giving them a tunic which from that moment on would signify the creation of a life in common, removed from the world and devoted to prayer and penitence. They left their families and in 1249 withdrew to live on Mount Senario. This style of hermitic life, based on poverty, penance, and devotion to Mary, spread rapidly: in 1256 the congregation obtained from Pope Alexander IV the privilege of confessing the faithful and of burying in their cemeteries also those who did not belong to the group. In 1304 it was recognized by Pope Benedict XI as a mendicant order. In 1888 the Seven Holy Founders were canonized by Pope Leo XIII.
The Order of the Servants of Mary, or the Servites, spread rapidly, finding itself in perfect harmony with the spirit of renewal sustained by the other orders. After an initial desire to live the hermitic life, in contemplation and penitence, the Servites devoted themselves to hospitality and service of the poorest and the sick, leading their life under the banner of fraternal sharing and simplicity. Besides attention to the physical needs of their brothers, they also saw to the care of souls, constantly urging conversion, penitence, and devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows.
In the fourteenth century the Order of the Servants of Mary spread considerably, especially in northern Italy, reaching all the way to Paris. In 1404 the need arose to renew the Order, returning to the rigor of the Seven Holy Founders. Thus in 1430 the Congregation of the Observance undertook to restore the strictness of the origins within the Order, founding numerous convents. During the period of the Council of Trent, the Servite Order underwent a great transformation, starting with a revision of the Constitution on which it had been based until that moment. The Hermitic Congregation of Mount Senario was also founded in this period.
Despite the numerous suppressions of convents in the second half of the eighteenth century, the Servite Order managed to spread as far as Brazil and to grow progressively all over Europe, remaining active until today, when it is still present all over the world.