Saint Frances of Rome not only saw purgatory but visited it, witnessed the souls who suffered there, and told of its three regions. She also visited hell, saw its frightening torments, and reported of its horror, disorder, despair and eternal darkness. Of purgatory, she reported none of hell's finality, but instead told of divine hope and of souls that suffered greatly but were assisted by angels to withstand their torments. Saint Frances further identified three separate areas of purgatory where souls had been placed in proportion to the time required to atone for their sins. Lower purgatory is filled with fire, though not a dark fire as in hell.
Intermediate purgatory possesses three chambers containing either ice, boiling oil or molten metal.
And she further related the existence of an upper purgatory where souls that are closest to deliverance suffer only the pain of loss. Saint Magdalen de Pazzi was taken on a trip through purgatory. She saw the different forms of torture being endured by those who had committed such sins as disobedience, lying, avarice, impurity, pride and ingratitude to God. After witnessing so many varied horrors, she begged God not to ask her to endure it again. But she knew that God's purpose had been to have her become vibrantly aware of how abominable is even the least sin in the eyes of God.