medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (12. June) is also the feast day of:
Basilides of Rome (??). The (pseudo-)Hieronymian Martyrology has two
listings for a Basilides with a martyrium on the Via Aurelia outside of
Rome: one, at the fourteenth milestone, venerated on 10 June and one,
at the fifth milestone, venerated on 12. June. The seventh-century
_Itinerarium Malmesburiense_, lists only one, at the twelfth milestone,
venerated on 12. June. Roman liturgical sources from the seventh
century onward also have only one B., celebrated on this day. The
ninth-century Ado, followed by Usuard, concurs in listing only the
saint of 12. June but gives his place of martyrdom as Milan and adds
three companions, Cyrinus, Nabor, and Nazarius, of whom the last two
are definitely Milanese.
Companions, in various numbers and with various names, also show up in
three undated medieval Passiones (BHL 1018-20) each of which proclaims
its total ignorance of the historical B. by having this martyr of the
Aurelian Way undergo martyrdom under a Roman official named Aurelius or
Aurelianus and in a town or province called Aurelia. Of these, BHL
1018 is noteworthy for being prosimetric, embedding in its prose two
small prayers in verse that resemble those in various Italian
_passiones_ of the tenth and eleventh centuries. It comes to us
through the _Sanctuarium_ of the Milanese humanist Bonino Mombrizio,
does not include the companions named by Ado and Usuard, and in all
probability is Italian in origin.
Two late antique or early medieval churches honoring this B. are known:
a basilica on Via Aurelia cited in the aforementioned _Itinerarium
Malmesburiense_ and one on the Via Merulana rebuilt by pope St. Leo III
(795-813) and cited in the latter's Life in the _Liber Pontificalis_.
These have not survived, but we do have, albeit much rebuilt, B.'s
originally very late eleventh- or early twelfth-century church at San
Michele Cavana, a _frazione_ of Lesignano de' Bagni (PR) in Emilia.
The abbey to which it belonged (Vallombrosan from its founding until
1485) is attested from 1115 onward but its dedication to B. seems not
to be mentioned prior to 1257, thus leaving us in the dark as to when
B.'s relics now in the little crypt below the altar of the church
actually arrived here. An illustrated, English-language account is
here:
http://tinyurl.com/a7tlz
Illustrated, Italian-language accounts:
http://tinyurl.com/n39j8
http://www.vocidellalpe.it/badia_cavana.html
http://www.provincia.parma.it/scuole/smlesign/www/cavana.html
http://tinyurl.com/nqwuf
Distance view of the complex:
http://eventi.parma.it/allegato.asp?ID=117990
Narthex views:
http://tinyurl.com/r8w5m
http://www.parmaitaly.com/foto/lesignano3-g.jpg
http://www.parmaitaly.com/foto/lesignano6-g.jpg
Narthex capitals:
http://www.vocidellalpe.it/badia_cavana/badia_3.jpg
http://tinyurl.com/zw4bt
Interior views:
http://turismo.parma.it/allegato.asp?ID=208196
http://tinyurl.com/fvoz6
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
|