Today the liturgy honors seven noble Florentines who in the thirteenth century, at a time when Florence and all Italy was torn by civil strife, banded together to found, not far from Florence on Monte Senario, the Order of Servites or Servants of Mary, especially dedicated to penance and meditation on the sorrows of our Lady in the passion of our Savior. The influence of the new Order spread rapidly in France, Germany and Poland: since that time the Servites of Mary have made foundations all over the world. They devote themselves to all forms of apostolic works and specialize in Marian studies.