medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
On 12/06/11, I wrote:
> Scenes from the St. Nicholas cycle as depicted in the earlier twelfth-century frescoes (betw. ca. 1311 and ca. 1322) in the church of St. Nicholas Orphanos in Thessaloniki:
Er, earlier _fourteenth_-century frescoes (obviously).
By way of compensation, herewith another saint of 6. December:
Benvenuto of Piticchio (Bl.; d. 1273). We know about this holy person of the central Marche (in Italian, Benvenuto del Piticchio as well as Benevenuto di Piticchio; in Latin, Beuenutus / Beneuenutus / Benuenutus de Petichio) from the work of Andrea di Giacomo (d. 1326), the fourth prior general of the Silvestrine community and its early hagiographer. According to Andrea's Vita of the community's founder St. Silvestro Guzzolini (BHL 7744, 7745), Benvenuto was one of the latter's disciples and assistants at their house on Monte Fano. A native of Piticchio in today's _comune_ of Arcevia (AN) and a person of dovelike simplicity, he was illiterate, highly devout, given to constant prayer and contemplation, and an example of monastic perfection. An evil spirit tormented him, driving him violently from place to place when at prayer, frequently causing him to lose sleep, and finally throwing him at night from the window of the monastery's solarium. Benvenuto lingered for ten days before dying of his injuries; after his death he operated many miracles.
Thus far Andrea di Giacomo, who both in this Vita and in that of Bl. Ugo degli Atti (BHL 4033b, 4033c) relates a miracle in which a brother suffering from a very painful and ultimately fatal intestinal disorder repeatedly calls upon _sanctus Beuenutus_ as well as _beatus Siluester_ and is rewarded with a dream vision in which Benvenuto appears to him dressed in white and predicts that the brother will endure only one more week of torment before joining him in heaven. Now celebrated by the Silvestrine Benedictines as a Beatus, Benvenuto has yet to grace the pages of the RM.
Best,
John Dillon
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