medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (28. August) is the feast day of:
1. Augustine of Hippo (d. 430). A.'s career and major writings are too
well known to warrant a summary here. For a brief refresher, though,
try the 'Context' section of Michael Mendelson's entry on him in the
_Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy_:
http://setis.library.usyd.edu.au/stanford/entries/augustine/
For more, there's always James J. O'Donnell's extraordinarily rich website
on A.:
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/augustine.html
2. Vicinius of Sarsina (4th cent.?). The legendary proto-bishop of
Sarsina (FC) in the Romagna, V. is known to us chiefly through his Life
and Miracles (BHL 8557), a late eleventh- or early twelfth-century text
preserved in the mid-twelfth-century Gambalunga Lectionary of Rimini.
This brief but elegantly written document tells us that V. came from
Liguria, by which seems to be meant today's Emilia, the latter having in
late antiquity been joined with ancient Liguria in a single province.
Ordained bishop by divine providence, he preached the Gospel to the
people of the _urbs Saxenata_ (i.e. Sassina, Sarsina's ancient name
form) and engaged in the full range of virtuous behaviors typical of a
saintly bishop. Especially effective at driving out demons, he used a
collar and chain to subdue the possessed whilst effecting their internal
release. This restraint (traditionally referred to as his "chain",
though today it is represented only by a collar) was preserved in Sarsina'
s cathedral, where V. was interred, and employed in various post-mortem
miraculous cures; that of the man from Arezzo, recounted in the Life and
Miracles, is a particularly good read.
Sarsina's "romanesque" Basilica Cattedrale di Santa Maria Maggiore e San
Vicinio (now a co-cathedral of the diocese of Cesena-Sarsina) is shown here
http://www.lemaschere.it/sarsinagallery2.html
http://www.sanvicinio.it/images/chiesa%202.jpg
http://www.sanvicinio.it/images/chiesa%20interno.jpg
and in more detail here:
http://www.irisversari.it/pievi/pievi3/sarsina.htm
One of its treasures is this twelfth-century marble ambo with sculptured
emblems of the four evangelists:
http://www.lemaschere.it/sarsinagallery10.html
In the late eighteenth century the right aisle was converted into a
chapel of San Vicinio:
http://www.lemaschere.it/sarsinagallery5.html
That's V. himself behind the grate beneath the altar, presumably in an
effigy-reliquary (V.'s head is said not to have been preserved). For a
similar episcopal display, see John of Lodi at Gubbio:
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Biographical/Diary/edited/0600/30.html
A view of V.'s collar will be found at lower right on this page:
http://www.sarsina.info/paese/basilica.htm#tele
V. is the focus of a major annual festival. Last year's iteration was
covered by the Los Angeles Times in an article emphasizing the blessing
of (i.e., with) the collar:
http://www.sanvicinio.it/documents/latimes_paper.pdf
or (without the photographs but easier to read):
http://www.sanvicinio.it/documents/latimes_site.pdf
Ancient Sassina was the birthplace of the Roman playwright Plautus;
modern tourists may visit his house in Sarsina's historic center:
http://www.sarsina.info/paese/centro.htm
More genuinely ancient remains are on display in the recently renovated
Museo Archeologico Sarsinate:
http://www.comune.sarsina.fo.it/museoarch/museo.htm
Notably a mosaic of Dionysus (center only is shown):
http://www.lemaschere.it/sarsinagallery6.html
and the Mausoleum of Rufus from a nearby necropolis:
http://www.lemaschere.it/sarsinagallery7.html
A similar temple-formed mausoleum, that of one Aulus Obulaccus, has been
re-erected elsewhere in the city and is shown in the fifth illustration
here (expandable):
http://www.appenninoromagnolo.it/comuni/sarsina_centro.asp
The creators of the Tombs of the Glossators in Bologna must have had
some experience of similar structures. Compare the tomb of Accursius,
in the Piazza Malpighi, shown here:
http://tinyurl.com/rkmv7
and that of Rolandino de' Passegeri in the Piazza San Domenico:
http://enkiri.com/europe/italy/emilia_romagna/bologna914.html
Best,
John Dillon
(matter on Vicinius from an older post, lightly revised)
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