medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (16. August) is the feast day of:
1) Ambrose of Ferentino (d. 304 or 305, supposedly). A. is the patron
of today's Ferentino (FR) in southern Lazio, where he has been honored
since at least the central Middle Ages. According to his legendary
Passio (BHL 375; in Paris, B.N., Ms. lat. 3278; a thirteenth-century Roman
lectionary for the Daily Office), A. was a Christian centurion stationed
at Ferentino who during the Great Persecution was tortured in various
ways and was finally decapitated on 16. August of an unspecified year.
By the sixteenth century A. was also the subject of a miracle story in
which his persecutor imprisoned him for several days without food or
water, after which he appeared stronger and healthier than before.
After being housed in other churches in Ferentino, A.'s putative remains are
said to have been brought to its cathedral at some time close to the latter's
consecration in 1108. In 1639 they were rediscovered there under a side
altar. Two views of A. (or the supposed A.) as he now is will be found here:
http://ferentino.altervista.org/pagine/martirio.htm
Views of Ferentino's Basilica cattedrale di Santi Giovanni e Paolo:
http://www.proloco.ferentino.fr.it/duomo22.JPG
http://www.romeartlover.it/Gregfer6.jpg
http://www.proloco.ferentino.fr.it/duomo_1.jpg
http://www.proloco.ferentino.fr.it/r_duomo11.jpg
http://tinyurl.com/22bu45
This church has a noteworthy cosmatesque pavement. Does anyone have a
better view of it to share with the list?
A stone bearing a dedication to A. is incorporated in the facade of
Ferentino's Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore. This too is a noteworthy
building. See:
http://tinyurl.com/lg7ym
http://www.st-mariamaggiore.org/
http://www.nuovipanorami.it/italia/lazio/ferent.html
I have not seen the procedings of the 1995 conference on "Ambrogio
Centurione", said to have been published as _Ambrogio centurione patrono
di Ferentino. Agiografia, storia, arte e devozione_ (Roma, 1998). Is
anyone aware of a North American or UK location of a copy of this work?
2) Lawrence "Loricatus" (Bl.; d. 1243). Today's less well known holy
person from the Regno was an Apulian who accidentally killed a man and
who in remorse undertook a pilgrimage to Compostela. When that did not
satisfy him L. became a hermit in a cave near the Benedictine complex at
Subiaco in the Anio valley south of Tivoli in today's Lazio. Here he
engaged in constant acts of self-denial and self-torture, the latter
most notably including the wearing next to his skin of the suit of ringed
mail that has given him the sobriquet "Loricatus" ("Wearing Body
Armor"). L. attracted disciples and received numerous visitors. At
least one of the latter (we are told) was a cardinal, while another may
have been Francis of Assisi. A canonization trial begun for L. in 1244
was apparently never concluded. His cult was confirmed in 1778.
L.'s body armor appears to have been a hauberk. It is (or, at any rate,
used to be) on display at the monastery of the Sacro Speco at Subiaco;
there's a photograph of it in the _Bibliotheca Sanctorum_, vol. 8,
cols. 139-40. L. is said to have worn lots of other ironmongery as well.
Also at the Sacro Speco is a manuscript, alleged to be autograph, of L.'s
_Liber orationum_ ("Book of Prayers"). L.'s bodily relics are preserved in
the same monastery's Cappella della Madonna. A guided tour
(Italian-language) of the Sacro Speco is here:
http://www.benedettini-subiaco.org/benedettini/sacro.htm
and six pages of views of its architecture and artworks are here (last
items on the menu):
http://www.benedettini-subiaco.org/benedettini/galarte.htm
A recent discussion of L. will be found in Sofia Boesch Gajano,
"Terreurs et tourments: formes d'érémitisme en Italie centrale entre le
XIIe et le XIIIe siècle," _Médiévales_ no. 28 (1995; issue title: _Le
Choix de la solitude_), 11-23. An edition of L.'s _Liber orationum_ by
Willibald Gnandt appeared early in the last century (Paderborn:
Schöningh, 1902). The chief source for L.'s biography is the record of
his canonization trial (BHL 4792), on which are based two anonymous
Lives (BHL 4793 and 4794).
Best,
John Dillon
(last year's post lightly revised)
**********************************************************************
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
|