medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (11. February) is the feast day of:
Castrensis (5th cent. ?). Venerated in Campania as an early
martyr-bishop, this less well known saint of the Regno is recorded for
today in the (pseudo-)Hieronyman Martyrology as well as in the
ninth-century Marble Calendar of Naples. He is especially associated
with the following places in today's Caserta province: Castel Volturno
(whose ninth-century bishop Radipert is recorded as having been buried
here at an altar containing C.'s remains), Capua, and Sessa Aurunca. C.
became the leading figure in the thirteenth(?)-century _Vita sancti
Castrensis_ (BHL 1644-45), which fictively brings together twelve saints
from southern Italy and makes them all Africans who in the fifth century
escaped Vandal persecution, made their way in an unseaworthy vessel to
Campania, and found death here.
Two twelfth-century mosaics illustrating C.'s miracles are part of the
decor of Sicily's Monreale cathedral, which latter since at least the
very early seventeenth century has claimed to have his relics (variously
said to have been brought here either in 1076 or in 1182) and where his
translation was celebrated liturgically before 1605. He is the patron
saint of Monreale (PA) and of its diocese, as well as of Castel Volturno
(CE) and of Sessa Aurunca (CE). In addition to localities at both of
the latter places, C. has also given his name to one of Campania's many
locally developed varities of apricot, the San Castrese.
C.'s image in the much degraded frescoes of the Grotta dei Santi at
Calvi Risorta (CE) may be made out here (left-hand column, second view;
labelled as Fig. 10):
http://www.cattedrale-calvirisorta.com/imgrottasanti.htm
Best,
John Dillon
(last year's post, considerably revised)
PS: I could not quickly find a view of either of C.'s representations at
Monreale. For those unaware of how richly decorated with mosaic this
building is, here's an interior view looking towards the apse:
http://www.classicalmosaics.com/images/mon2.jpg
**********************************************************************
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
|