Janina Ramirez

Janina Ramirez Instagram – I’m often found creeping around old churches, usually in the dark. But visiting the beautiful Collegiate Church of St Gertrude in Nivelles was a particularly eerie one for me. The lights were out, and around every corner I found the triumphant and slightly terrifying statues of Gertrude, graves, relics and skeletons. I was on the hunt for the 7th Century patron saint of cats, Gertrude, who was a total bad-ass – refusing marriage proposals, shaving her head to pass as a monk, and running her own powerhouse in Belgium. The spookiness just added to the excitement of finding her! You’ll have to wait for my next book to find out more OR book on my January Histfest course where I’ll share some discoveries… http://histfest.org/medieval-women/ | Posted on 15/Dec/2023 21:20:21