Cascia is located in the province of Umbria in the center of the Italian peninsula. The capital of the province is Perugia, a remarkably beautiful city on the Tiber, with many stately edifices, among which is a magnificent cathedral built in the 14th century, which contains paintings of Barroccio, and other master painters. The cathedral also houses a valuable manuscript in its extensive library, that of the codex of the Gospel of St. Like, 6th century.

Umbria is known for the honorable lineage of its descendants, of a faithful Catholic piety: the region has been able to say that "it has preserved the faith once given to the saints." Not only is the Umbria a luxuriant garden of fruits and flowers set within a picturesque milieu, but it is known best as a holy shrine because it is the birthplace of so many illustrious saints whose names are the ornaments of Italy and the glory of the Catholic Church: St. Benedict, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare are just a few. The St. Augustinian order alone has eight saints, one of which is, of course, St. Rita of Cascia, "Umbria's precious pearl." [Pope Leo XIII]

Cascia lies 75 miles from Rome in the southeastern part of Umbria, situated in the Apennines. In Cascia there is a beautiful parish church, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, and several religious communities. The Augustinian Order has three itself, one of friars and two of nuns.

One of the convents is named for St. Rita. The other convent is dedicated to the glorious virgin, St. Lucy, who suffered martyrdom during the fierce persecution of Diocletian.

Among the many cedars of this Augustinian lebanon, St. Rita towers above them all and the story of her marvelous life and the many miracles wrought through her intercession should convince you that God is indeed wonderful in His saints, and that St. Rita is truly the Saint of the Impossible.

www.catholictradition.org/Cascia/rita1-1.htm