They were the three daughters of Baron Toraldo, a noble of the Seat of the Nile. Their mother, Donna Gaetana Scauro, of noble birth, died when they were very young. Thet baron decided not to remarry, and in order to save the name of the family from extinction, obtained as a special favour from King Robert of Anjou permission for his eldest daughter Donna Regina to retain the name after marriage and pass it down to her children. When the baron died in 1320, Donna Regina was nineteen year old, Donna Albina seventeen and Donna Romita fifteen.
The firstborn, Donna Regina, was very beautiful, but also extremely severe; she hardly ever smiled or spoke. She was the head of the family, the heir, she who would save the name and noble blood of the family from extinction. Wherever she went, her sisters followed her. All three were united gy profound and innate mutual respect. The word of the eldest sister was law and the other two would never rebel against her.
The second born, Donnalbina, was quite different: amiable, smiling and generous. "She was the one who gave out alms to the poor every Saturday, it was she who referred the servants' and the poor farmhands' requests to her sister Regina - anyone who was in need and asked for help knew they could ask it of her. Her affectionate, cheerful nature suffered from the silence of the house, the austerity that reigned over it, the freezing corridors, the marble salons - the very heart of Regina, so cold that affection was not admitted, was a cause of the suffering of Donnalbina.
The lastborn of the sisters, Donna Romita, was little more than a child. She had a complicated character, her moments of sadness alternated with moments of sudden joy. But in spite of everything, they continued to live peacefully together until King Robert decided to give Donna Regina in matrimony to Filippo Capace, a knight of the Neapolitan court. The young man's handsome appearance and his courtly manners fascinated not only Donna Regina, but also her two sisters. All three fell in love with the noble knight, and they became enemies.
Finally, Donna Albina and Donna Romita were desperate about their unrequited love and even more so for the offence they caused their eldest sister, so they arranhed to meet Donna Romina to tell them about a decision they had made: they would become nuns and with their share of the inheritance they would found the monasteries where they would be cloistered. Donna Regina's hated her, so she too would take the veil and found another monastery with her inheritance.
This, according to legend, is how the three Neapolitan monasteries of S.Maria Donna Regina, S. Maria Donnalbina and S. Maria Donna Romita were founded.