Thomas Aquinas born at Roccasecca

1225

In a hilltop castle south of Rome, the fifth son of a count of Aquino was born into a family with monastic ambitions. He would choose the new Dominicans over old Benedictines, defy his family's kidnapping attempts, and become the most influential Catholic theologian ever. His classmates called him the dumb ox for his silence; his teacher Albert predicted his bellow would one day fill the world.