medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (28. October) is the feast day of :
Fidelis of Como (d. ca. 304, supposedly). F.'s cult is at least as old as the
sixth century, when he is mentioned by Ennodius. He and his companions
(the latter now celebrated on 7. August) are said in a number of medieval
texts of uncertain date (BHL 2922, etc.) to have been Christian soldiers who
slipped away from the Roman army during the persecution of Maximian.
They were, according to these accounts, pursued, caught up with at different
locations in the vicinity of Como, and put to death at their places of capture.
F. is said to have gotten as far as today's Novate Mezzola (SO) in Lombardy.
There, on the shore of the Lago di Mezzola (just north of the Lago di Como),
he was clubbed, crucified, and decapitated. A great storm then arose,
accompanied by lightning and terrifying the martyr's killers. One of the latter
buried F. at the site of his execution. So his Passio tells us.
An English-language translation of BHL 2922 is here:
http://www.ucc.ie/milmart/Fidelis.html
And various views of the originally late tenth- or very early eleventh-century
chapel of San Fedelino (restructured in 1905; restored in 1992/93) at the
supposed locale of F.'s martyrdom are here:
http://www.viaspluga.com/ita/guidebook/fedelino/index.php?photo_num=02
http://www.cmvalchiavenna.org/sections.php?op=printpage&artid=40
http://tinyurl.com/3xep5q
Some closer views of the chapel's eleventh- and twelfth-century frescoes:
http://www.viaspluga.com/ita/guidebook/fedelino/index.php?photo_num=01
http://www.gruppoartecultura.it/Percorsi/sanfedelino.htm
In 964 F.'s relics were translated to Como and deposited in a church
formerly dedicated to St. Euphemia but now rededicated to him (BHL
2925). Como's present basilica di San Fedele is of the twelfth century
with later medieval additions and with early twentieth-century
restorations (belltower, 1906; facade and interior of the apse, 1914).
Views of the facade in differing light are here:
http://tinyurl.com/9cdfx
http://www.inviaggionelmondo.it/Como/Como_SanFedele.JPG
http://digilander.libero.it/felice/Como/Chiese4.jpg
http://www.mondimedievali.net/Edifici/Lombardia/como01.jpg
The rear portal is noteworthy, especially for its reliefs:
http://tinyurl.com/ap5ds
http://www.mondimedievali.net/Edifici/Lombardia/como23.jpg
Two exterior views of the apse:
http://digilander.libero.it/sys76/Resources/sfedele2.gif
http://tinyurl.com/d6db6
The interior contains this font for holy water; carved from a
Roman-period capital, it is said to be of the eighth century:
http://www.mondimedievali.net/Edifici/Lombardia/como18.jpg
http://tinyurl.com/yt4zun
The damaged sculpture beneath it shows a human figure bestriding a lion.
There are also some fourteenth-century frescoes, e.g.:
http://www.mondimedievali.net/Edifici/Lombardia/como22.jpg
http://www.mondimedievali.net/Edifici/Lombardia/como08.jpg
A ground plan is here:
http://www.gacom.it/como/luoghi/pianta.jpg
A multi-page, illustrated, Italian-language discussion is here:
http://www.mondimedievali.net/Edifici/Lombardia/Como.htm
And another page of multiple views (mostly expandable) is here:
http://tinyurl.com/2leqbv
Best,
John Dillon
(last year's post revised)
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