ABSTRACT
On 22 July 1621, the feast day of Saint Mary Magdalen, cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte sent grand duchess Maria Maddalena d’Austria a gift:
As today we have the feast of the glorious Saint Mary Magdalen [the cardinal wrote] these few hairs of hers have come to me; of them I make a present to Your Most Serene Highness and since I do not have the means to send you great things I send you this relic, which I hope will be dear to you, because of carrying her glorious name. These hairs touched the most glorious feet of our Lord, conserve them as sign of my devoted service.1
