Romulus of Fiesole

Last updated
Saint Romulus of Fiesole
Giovanni della robbia, San Romolo in cattedra, 1521, 02.jpg
Statue of Saint Romulus in the Fiesole Cathedral by Giovanni della Robbia
Diedc. 90 AD
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church
Major shrine Fiesole Cathedral
Feast 6 July (Catholic Church), 6 June (Orthodox Church)
Attributes depicted with a wolf due to confusion with the legend of Romulus and Remus; [1] bishop with an arrow broken above his breast; depicted at martyrdom of 4 companions or enthroned among four martyrs [2]
Patronage Fiesole

Saint Romulus of Fiesole (Italian : San Romolo, died c. AD 90) was bishop of Fiesole during the 1st century. He is venerated as the patron saint of Fiesole, Italy. Romulus was probably a local deacon, priest, or bishop of the 1st century. [1] [3]

Contents

According to tradition, he was a disciple of Saint Peter and had been converted to Christianity by the apostle. [2] [3] This tradition states that Romulus became the first bishop of Fiesole and was martyred during the reign of Domitian along with four companions: Carissimus, Dulcissimus, Marchis(i)anus, and Crescentius. [2]

He was not named as a bishop or martyr in documents dating from 966; however, a document from 1028 names him as such. [1] From then on, Romulus was considered a martyred bishop of Fiesole, and his companions were named as Carissimus, Dulcissimus, Marchis(i)anus (Marchiziano), and Crescentius. [1] Their feast day was listed as 6 July in the 1468 Florentine edition of the Martyrology of Usuard, and in the 16th century, his name began to appear in the Roman Martyrology, where he was named as a disciple of Saint Peter. [1]

As Antonio Borrelli remarks, sometime between the end of the 10th century and the beginning of the eleventh, Romulus was "upgraded" from being considered a Confessor of the Faith to a martyr, possibly by a local abbot named Teuzo. [1]

An 11th-century legend associated with him, considered "worthless", [2] makes him an illegitimate son of a woman named Lucerna, who had a child with her father's slave, who was named Cyrus. [2] Like the Romulus of ancient Roman legend, this Romulus was also abandoned and suckled by a she-wolf. He was captured, baptized and raised by Saint Peter and Peter's companion Justin. [2] Romulus then evangelized much of central Italy and was put to death by the governor Repertian. [2]

The most ancient image depicting Romulus is a 1440 triptych in Fiesole Cathedral by Bicci di Lorenzo, where he is represented with Saints Alexander, Peter and Donatus. [4] Also in the cathedral is a collection of frescoes by Nicodemo Ferrucci adorning the vault of the apse which depict scences from the life of Saint Romulus. [4]

Stories of St. Romulus in the Fiesole Cathedral Nicodemo ferrucci (attr.), storie di san romolo di fiesole, 1590-1600 ca. 01.jpg
Stories of St. Romulus in the Fiesole Cathedral

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiesole</span> Town and comune of Florence, in Tuscany, Italy

Fiesole is a town and comune of the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a scenic height above Florence, 5 km northeast of that city. It has structures dating to Etruscan and Roman times.

Crescentius may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Fiesole</span> Roman Catholic diocese in Italy

The Diocese of Fiesole is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in Tuscany, central Italy, whose episcopal see is the city of Fiesole. Fiesole was directly subject to the pope until 1420, when the archdiocese of Florence was created and Fiesole was made one of its suffragan bishops. It is still a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archbishopric of Florence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pancras of Taormina</span>

Pancras or Pancratius is an Italian saint associated with Taormina and venerated as a Christian martyr. His surviving hagiography is purely legendary. He is, however, recorded in some early martyrologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romulus of Genoa</span>

Saint Romulusof Genoa was an early Bishop of Genoa, around the time of Saint Syrus. His dates are uncertain: since Jacobus de Voragine traditional lists compiled from local liturgies generally place his bishopric fourth in a largely legendary list. He fled from Genoa and never returned He died in the cave he inhabited at Villa Matutiae, a town on the Italian Riviera which later adopted his name, becoming San Remo, and later Sanremo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caesarius of Terracina</span>

SaintCaesarius of Terracina was a Christian martyr. The church of San Cesareo in Palatio in Rome bears his name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lucca</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Italy

The Archdiocese of Lucca is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Italy. The diocese dates back as a diocese to at least the 4th century; it became an archdiocese in 1726. The seat of the archbishop is in Lucca, in the cathedral of S. Martino. It is not a metropolitan see, has no suffragan dioceses, and is immediately subject (exempt) to the Holy See (Papacy).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crescentius of Rome</span>

Crescentius of Rome is venerated as a child martyr by the Roman Catholic Church. According to tradition, he was born of a noble Roman family and was baptized along with his parents by Epigmenius. During the persecutions of Christians by Diocletian, the family fled to Perugia, where his father Euthymius died. Led back to Rome, Crescentius, who was eleven years old, was beheaded on the via Salaria, outside of the city walls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiesole Cathedral</span> Church in Tuscany, Italy

Fiesole Cathedral, officially the Cathedral of Saint Romulus of Fiesole, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Fiesole, Tuscany, central Italy. It is the seat of the Bishop of Fiesole and is dedicated to Saint Romulus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eleutherius and Antia</span> Christian saints and martyrs in Albania

Eleutherius (or Eleut erus or Eleftherios; sometimes called Liberalis or Liberator, the former transliterations and the latter translations of his and his mother Antia are venerated as Christian saints and martyrs in Greece and Albania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donatus of Arezzo</span> Bishop of Arezzo

Saint Donatus of Arezzo is the patron saint of Arezzo, and considered a bishop of the city.

Alessandro Borgia was an Italian bishop and archbishop.

Saint Libertine is venerated as a Christian martyr and as the first bishop of Agrigento, in Sicily.

<i>Fiesole Altarpiece</i>

The Fiesole Altarpiece is a painting by the Italian early Renaissance master Fra Angelico, executed around 1424–1425. It is housed in the Convent of San Domenico, Fiesole, central Italy. The background was repainted by Lorenzo di Credi in 1501.

Pietro Parenzo was a mayor of the Italian Comune of Orvieto during the 12th century. He was assassinated in 1199 by the adherents of Catharism and became honored as a saint and wonderworker after his death. He is the patron saint of the city of Orvieto.

Saint Vicinius or Saint Vicinius of Sarsina was the first bishop of Sarsina and is venerated as a Roman Catholic saint.

Saint Pelinus or Pelinus of Brindisi was a Basilian monk, later bishop of Brindisi in Italy, martyred at Corfinio and made a saint in 668. His feast day is Dec. 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of San Fedele, Como</span>

The Basilica of San Fedele in Como is located in the city center. The present Romanesque church dates from 1120 and is dedicated to the Fidelis of Como.

The Diocesan Seminary of Fiesole is a former Roman Catholic seminary in Fiesole, Italy. Founded in the 17th century, the seminary was run by the Diocese of Fiesole until it was closed in 1970. Today, the seminary retains several pieces of historically significant art and library collections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Episcopal Palace, Fiesole</span> Italian episcopal palace

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Borrelli, Antonio (2002-12-28). "San Romolo di Fiesole". Santiebeati.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2012-03-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. 1 2 Benigni, Umberto (1913). "Diocese of Fiesole"  . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  4. 1 2 Tribe, Shawn. "The Duomo of Fiesole in Tuscany". Liturgical Arts Journal. Retrieved 2023-10-26.

Books

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.