Regina of Alesia

Daughter of Clement, a wealthy pagan from Autun, Regina was secretly converted to Christianity by her nurse and baptized. Around the age of 15, she was noticed by Olybrius, prefect of Gaul, who wished to marry her. Faced with her categorical refusal to renounce her faith and marry a pagan, she was imprisoned and subjected to numerous tortures in Alesia (now Alise-Sainte-Reine). She endured scourging, stretching on the rack, iron combs, and exposure to flames. According to legend, she received comforting visions, including a dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit. Finally, she was beheaded around 251 AD.