Dalmatius of Pavia

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Saint Dalmatius of Pavia
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Bornpossibly San Damiano Macra, Italy
Died254 or 304 AD
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church
Feast 5 December
Patronage Borgo San Dalmazzo

Dalmatius of Pavia (Italian : San Dalmazzo, Dalmazio) (died 254 or 304 AD) is venerated as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. It is possible that Dalmatius was simply a local preacher of northern Italy, but the century in which he lived or the manner in which he died is unknown. [1]

He was venerated at what was called Pedona (present-day Borgo San Dalmazzo). His biography was composed in the 7th or 8th centuries, its author perhaps a Lombard monk of the monastery of Pedona who was drawing from oral tradition. [1]

His biography states that Dalmatius was born at Forum Germarzorum (present-day San Damiano Macra) and became a churchman and evangelizer in Pedona. [1] In the 10th century, when the area of Pedona was devastated during Muslim raids, Dalmatius’ relics were carried to Quargnento, where an inscription on his tomb read: [H]ic requiescit corpus sancti Dalmatii repositum ab Audace episcopo Astensi. [1]

In France, a tradition dating from the 9th century held that he died a martyr. Later legends state that he evangelized many cities of Piedmont, Emilia, and Gaul, and was killed for his faith in 254 or 304 AD. [2]

The Roman Martyrology , based on erroneous episcopal lists, considers Dalmatius a bishop of Pavia and lists his feast day as 5 December. [2]

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 3 4 "San Dalmazio (Dalmazzo) di Pavia".
  2. 1 2 "Patron Saints Index: Saint Dalmatius of Pavia". Archived from the original on 26 January 2008.