She belonged to a very wealthy family in Rimini, but was deprived at the tender age of the guidance of her mother and, later, of her husband. She soon fell prey to the dangers to which her youth and beauty exposed her and began to lead a life of sinful dissipation. The father and brother died the same day during the war against the Malatesta, so that all the richness of the Agolanti family were concentrated in the hands of the young widow.
At the age of 34 an unusual event took place: while she was attending Mass in the Franciscan Friars Church, she seemed to hear a mysterious voice that ordered her to say a “Our Father” and an “Ave Maria”, at least once with fervour and caution. Chiara obeyed the command, not knowing where it came from, and then began to reflect on her life. She made the decision to enter the Third Order of Saint Francis, in order to atone for his sins with a life of penance. Soon she became a model of every virtue, but above all of charity towards the poor and the afflicted. When the Poor Clares were forced to leave the city because of the war, it was mainly through Chiara’s efforts that they were able to obtain a convent and livelihood in Rimini. Later, Chiara entered the order of the Poor Clares, together with several other pious women; she obtained the blessing of the bishop of Rimini Guido Abasio and became superior of the convent of Our Lady of the Angels in Rimini. She would have performed many miracles and towards the end of her life the Lord would have given her the gift of very high spiritual graces. (Source: Wikipedia)
Once again we find in Chiara a female figure whose collocation could be that of a beguine, at least before her monastic profession. This is how in his Memoirs (published in 1755) “the scholar cardinal G.Garampi describes her fellow citizen Chiara as” the clearest example of home-grown Beguine “(Romana Guarnieri, Pinzochere, DIP, p.1728)
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