Saints
H

Saint · High medieval

Saint Hildegard of Bingen

Period
1098–1179
Feast day
17 September
Associated region
Rhineland, Germany

Benedictine abbess, visionary writer, composer and Doctor of the Church.

Key timeline

View full timeline (4)
  1. 1136

    Becomes magistra

  2. 1141–1151

    Scivias written

  3. 2012

    Doctor of the Church

Enclosed as a child at Disibodenberg, she became magistra in 1136 and later founded her own monastery at Rupertsberg. She wrote theology, natural science and medicine, composed liturgical music and corresponded with popes and emperors.

Principal written sources

  • Scivias
  • Book of Life’s Merits
  • Book of Divine Works
  • Symphonia (songs)
  • Letters
  • Life of Hildegard by Godfrey and Theoderic

Full timeline

  1. 1136

    Becomes magistra

  2. 1141–1151

    Scivias written

  3. 1179

    Death

  4. 2012

    Doctor of the Church

In 2012 Pope Benedict XVI extended her canonisation to the whole Church and named her a Doctor of the Church.

Feast day
  • 17 September
Venerated in (starting dataset)
Catholic, Anglican. Venerated locally for centuries; the Catholic Church extended her cult to the universal Church in 2012.
Patronage and roles (starting dataset)
Musicians, Natural Scientists, Writers
Places
Disibodenberg · Rupertsberg near Bingen · Eibingen

Accounts in the starting dataset

The source workbook lists these under “Confirmed Miracle / Key Event”. The Atlas does not treat them as confirmed: each is labelled by the kind of evidence behind it.

  • Her own account

    “Luminous visions of 'Living Light' from age 3 describing natural sciences”

    Hildegard describes visions of the “Living Light” from early childhood.

  • Her own claim

    “Spontaneous composition of complex musical chants without training”

    She said she had no formal training in music; scholars treat this partly as a conventional expression of humility.

About the image · Editorial design

Editorial initial. Manuscript images of Hildegard are not likenesses and are not cleared for use here.

Editorial status

Editorial draft. Built from the starting workbook with editorial corrections and framing. It has not yet been checked against independent sources.

References

  • Workbook linkNot yet checked

    britannica.com

    Link supplied in the source workbook (“Top 100 Saints”, row 73). It has not been checked to confirm that it supports every claim in that row.

Original workbook record

Imported unchanged from “Top 100 Saints”, row 73. Values here are the starting dataset, not verified facts; where the Atlas differs, the reason is noted below.

#
65
Saint / Title
Saint Hildegard of Bingen
Primary Traditions Veneration
Catholic, Anglican
Feast Day(s)
Sept 17
Era / Lived
1098 – 1179 AD
Origin / Region
Bingen, Germany
Patronage & Major Roles
Musicians, Natural Scientists, Writers
Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 1
Luminous visions of 'Living Light' from age 3 describing natural sciences
Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 2
Spontaneous composition of complex musical chants without training
Key Contribution / Historical Significance
German Benedictine abbess, polymath, mystic, composer, and Doctor of Church.
Reference Link
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Hildegard

Editorial notes on this record

  • Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 1–2: Self-descriptions presented as confirmed miracles.