Saturday, 3 October 2026

Saint Wilgefortis, the bearded virgin crucified by her father after refusing to marry a prince

Sculpture of a bearded saint in a long robe and crown within a baroque altar, beside gilded statues.

This is not Jesus in a dress, but a Catholic saint: the bearded virgin Wilgefortis. She prayed that her father might not marry her off to a prince she did not love, and a beard grew upon her face; her father, in a fury, had her crucified

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