St. Nicholas was born about the year 1245 in the March of Ancona. As a young man, but already endowed with a canon’s stall, he was one day greatly affected by a sermon preached by a Hermit of St. Augustine and decided to enter this newly-founded Order. At first he lived at the hermitage of Pesaro and then at Tolentino where he died on September 10, 1305. His whole life was remarkable for its great austerity which was inspired by his great love of the cross.