Serapia was a Roman saint, a slave and martyr, also called Seraphia or Seraphima of Syria.

[1] Having taken a vow of chastity, she disposed of her property, distributed the proceeds to the poor, and entered the service of a wealthy Roman widow named Sabina, whom she converted to the faith.

[2] Sabina then withdrew with a few devout friends to one of her country seats near Vendina in Umbria, where they employed themselves in acts of devotion and charity.

She refused and was handed over to two men so they could defile her, but her would-be assailants fell unconscious.

Around 1639 Claude Lorrain painted Landscape with the Burial of St Serapia for Philip IV of Spain; it now hangs in the Museo del Prado.