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Guillemine or Guillemette

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Guillemin, Pierre

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Guilleminot, Jean

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a Bohemian enthusiast of the 13th century. She went from Bohemia to Milan, where she gave herself out as the daughter of the queen of Bohemia (Constantia), pretending to have been conceived in a miraculous manner, like Christ. She professed to have the mission of saving bad Christians, Jews, and Mohammedans. Her pretended visions and semblance of asceticism gained her many adherents. The mysteries of her system are said to have been grossly immoral. Gaillemine died in 1280, according to Moreri (1300 according to Bossi), and was buried with great honors in the monastery of Chiaravalle, near Milan, founded by St. Bernard. The sect Continued under the management of a priest, Andrew Saramita, and of a nun of the order of Humiliati, whom Guillemine had herself pointed out for her successor. Six years after, however, their secret practices were revealed, and the women were imprisoned and punished. Saramita and Porovana were burnt after being condemned by the Inquisition, as was also the body of Guillemine, disinterred for the purpose. The house where the sect met was razed, and a hermitage erected in its place; it became afterwards part of a convent of Carmelites. Some writers have attempted to refute the accusation of immorality made against the sect. See Bossi, Chronicles; Mabillon, Museum Ital. vol. i; Bayle, Dict. Hist,; Hoefer, Nouvelle Biog. Generale, 22:714 sq. (J. N. P.)