medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Like Agatha up the road in Catania, Lucy was venerated in Syracuse not
only in late antiquity but right through the city's period of Muslim
rule (878-1088). In the late 1030s or early 1040s, during his ephemeral
reconquest of eastern Sicily, the East Roman general George Maniakes had
the relics of both saints transported to Constantinople. In the early
twelfth century French knights from Norman-ruled Sicily returned Agatha
to Catania (less some bits that got left in Taranto en route). But Lucy
(or at least what Maniakes had been told was Lucy; she is also suppposed
to have been translated to the duchy of Benevento in the eighth century
and to have wound up in Metz) remained in Constantinople until the
Frankish conquest of 1204, whereupon the Venetian contingent had her
shipped to Venice. Today they are in Venice's San Geremia:
http://www.basilicasantalucia.it/le_reliquie_di_santa_lucia.htm
Unless of course they're already on their way back to Syracuse, whose
archdiocese has her on loan from Venice for the period 15. to 22. December.
Syracuse's basilica of Santa Lucia alla Badia is a twelfth-century
church replacing a Byzantine predecessor said to have gone back to the
sixth century. Shown here,
http://www.ibmsnet.it/siracusa/chlucia.gif
it is a three-naved, three-apsed basilica that underwent substantial
reconstruction in the seventeenth century (including the portico so
prominent in the photograph). The apses and the the three lower courses
of the belltower are holdovers from its Norman-period form.
A side view shows in the foreground the octagonal, seventeenth century
baptistery known as the Chapel of St. Lucy:
http://www.carasantalucia.it/chiese/chiese_Italia/Siracusa/Siracusa_cappella.jpg
This is built over what was traditionally thought to have been the site
of L.'s ancient tomb and displays what is said to have been her very
loculus:
http://www.carasantalucia.it/chiese/chiese_Italia/Siracusa/Siracusa_loculo.jpg
Best,
John Dillon
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|