medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Phyllis' source is both perversely hyperaccurate (though not currently
correct) about Santa Zita's birthplace and perversely reticent about her
place of employment, death, and laying to rest. According to what
Papebroch calls her contemporary Life (BHL 9019, 9020; I haven't
inquired into current thinking about the date), Z. was born at a place
called Monte Segradi in the diocese of Lucca (today's Monsagrati [LU])
and it was in the latter city, approximately 12 km. distant from her
natal town, that -- apart from one pilgrimage to Pisa and frequent brief
trips to a monastery outside of Lucca -- she spent the remainder of her
life after moving there at the age of 12. Lucca, of course, is
reasonably well known and Monsagrati is not and it is hard to fathom
what the reason may have been (other, perhaps, than easily remediable
ignorance) for Phyllis' source to so conceal Z.'s Luccan identity. It
is as though a saint of nineteenth-century New Orleans (I speak
hypothetically, of course) had been identified geographically only as
having been born in Metairie (USA).
According to her Life (which repays reading), Z. was laid to rest in her
neighborhood church, one that may be familiar to some on this list.
Here's a front view:
http://www.itclucca.lu.it/interessanti/luccacittadarte/2id/S.FREDIA/chies1.jpg
TinyURL for this: http://tinyurl.com/bgfkz
And here are a couple of close-ups of its famous mosaic:
http://www.provincia.asti.it/edu/smgoria/sfrediano.htm
http://web.genie.it/utenti/e/enigmagalgano/Immagini/jpeg/mosaico.jpg
TinyURL for this: http://tinyurl.com/dr26x
That's right: it's the church of San Frediano (a.k.a. St. Frigidian).
And here's Z. herself, inside:
http://www.itclucca.lu.it/interessanti/luccacittadarte/2id/S.FREDIA/Zita6.jpg
TinyURL for this: http://tinyurl.com/bx2x3
So, if you know where's she's really from, there's even a chance that
you might visit her. And perhaps buy flowers in her honor:
http://www.luccatourist.it/notizie.asp?id=105
And, if nineteenth-century medievalism is an interest, you could read
this version by Francesca Alexander (with illustrations by her and
comments by John
Ruskin) of an early modern ballad of Santa Zita:
http://meltingpot.fortunecity.com/ukraine/324/zita.html
Best,
John Dillon
On Tuesday, April 26, 2005, at 6:17 pm, Phyllis wrote:
> Today (27. April) is the feast day of:
> Zita (d. 1278) Zita was born to poor people of Monte Sagrati (Italy)
> She became a servant in a wool-dealer's household, specializing in
> diligence, asceticism, and general holiness. She continued as a
> servant for the family for c. 48 years, until her death, but had a
> surprisingly public role during that time, working on behalf of the
> poor and criminals and working a lot of miracles. Z. was canonized
> in 1696---she's the patron saint of servants.
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