medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
On Sunday, May 29, 2011, at 11:01 am, Genevra Kornbluth wrote:
> On 5/29/2011 11:06 AM, John Dillon wrote:
> >The Vitalis of this [Rome] church is V. the legendary father of Sts.
> Gervasius and Protasius.
> Does this explain the prominent mosaics of G and P in the Ravenna
> church of San Vitale? But you are all saying that the Vitalis is not
> the same as the Ravenna one, right? Was there also a medieval confusion?
Mea maxima culpa! Genevra is quite right: the Vitalis honored at Ravenna is indeed the legendary father of Sts. Gervasius and Protasius. Here's last near's notice of him in "saints of the day" (28. May):
"Vitalis of Ravenna (?). The late fifth- or early sixth-century Inventio/Passio of Sts. Gervase and Protase (BHL 3514) includes a legendary narration of how their parents, Vitalis and Valeria, were martyred at Ravenna as was also the Ligurian physician Ursicinus, then practicing in that city. This tale, dubious in many respects and utterly implausible in some, got V., V., and U. removed from the general Roman calendar in 1969. But the revised RM of 2001 still commemorates Vitalis on this date and does so in a _laterculus_ that not only names Valeria and Ursicinus as saints along with Gervase and Protase but recognizes all five as having had a _cultus ab immemorabili tempore_. Though the true antiquity of their cult(s) is unknown, Vitalis and Ursicinus had dedications in the sixth century and all are depicted among the saints in the mosaics of Ravenna's Sant'Apollinare Nuovo."
Best again,
John Dillon
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