This week in Christian history: ‘Rise Up, O Men of God’ published; Adoniram Judson sets sail

Fra Angelico dies – Feb. 18, 1455

This week marks the anniversary of when Fra Angelico, a Dominican friar and Renaissance era painter also known as Fra Giovanni da Fiesole, died in Rome, Italy.

Born Guido di Pietro in Vicchio, Fra Angelico became a friar in the 1420s, and his most famous works are the altarpieces and frescoes he painted in various churches.

“In addition to the influence he had on his followers, Fra Angelico exerted a significant influence in Florence, especially between 1440 and 1450,” noted Britannica. “Fra Angelico was lauded in writings of the 15th century and later, some of which bestowed a legendary halo on him.”

“In 1453 or 1454, Fra Angelico again went to Rome, where he died in the Dominican priory in which he had stayed during his first visit to that city. He was buried in the nearby church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, where his tomb remains an object of veneration.”