Hi all,

A while back, I wrote an essay about fasting in Christianity for university. During my research, I came across the story of a woman who piqued my interest. Unfortunately, I lost the article which detailed her life, and I've been unable to remember or find her name again.

All I can remember about her is that she lived in Medieval times, that she (allegedly) stopped eating and drinking completely for several weeks or months to show her commitment to God. She would throw up any food she tried to consume, because (the story went) God had transformed her to live without eating, but to reject any type of nutrition. Some part of her body started to rot and emit a very sweet smell (she may have been ill beforehand, but I can't remember! augh). The bits of her flesh that sloughed off were considered to have curative powers (which I know was the case with a lot of martyrs at the time) and people traveled from far away to touch her wound and take away bits of her flesh and blood. I feel like this may have been in France, the low countries, or Italy. She eventually passed away after supposedly being in this condition for a few months.

I realise that this isn't much to go on, and that it can probably apply to dozens, if not hundreds of martyrs, but the bit about the sweet smelling wound stuck out to me and I've wanted to look her up again ever since. If someone recognises who this might be, it'd really help!