medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (7. February) is also the feast day of yet another less well
known saint from the Regno:
Lawrence of Siponto (d. ca. 550, supposedly).
Siponto is in northern Puglia and its diocese or a successor thereof has
always had responsibility for the famous sanctuary of Michael the
Archangel on the nearby Gargano peninsula. The sanctuary's principal
foundation account, the late eighth- or ninth-century _Liber de
apparitione sancti Michaelis in monte Gargano_, describes the
archangel's choice of the bishop of Siponto (whom he had previously
assisted in dream visions) to be present at the dedication of the
sanctuary, which latter had been miraculously erected by the archangel
himself. In this document of Beneventan origin the bishop is unnamed,
appropriately enough for a time when the diocese of Siponto had, thanks
to the late eighth-century Lombard conquest of its territory from the
empire of the Romans, been fully incorporated into that of Benevento.
In the early 1020s Siponto, now part of the resurgent East Roman
katepanate, had its diocese not only restored but even elevated to the
status of an archdiocese. At some point between then and either the
diocese's re-incorporation into that of Benevento in 1053 (it was
restored again in 1066) or the Norman conquest of the area in about
1060 someone wrote a rather philobyzantine Life of its early bishop who
had been aided by Michael. In this document (BHL 4791) the bishop is
now named: he is Laurentius (Lawrence). This is really our only
evidence for L.: a later eleventh- or perhaps very early twelfth-
century Life (BHL 4790), possibly of Cassinese authorship, adds details
reflecting changed political realities in the region and brings L.'s
episcopate into conformity with eleventh-century ecclesiastical reforms
but is clearly only an elaboration of its predecessor. Later versions,
including one in verse for L.'s Office, are even less authoritative.
Opinions differ as to whether there ever really was such a bishop of
Siponto and, if so, whether his name were really Laurentius. Both,
after all, could easily be hagiographic inventions: the first by the
author of the _Apparitio_ and the second by the author of BHL 4791. The
likelihood that he received and transmitted to the Sipontines Michael's
supposedly successful advice as how they could defeat an attack by the
Neapolitans (in the early sixth century!!) is nil; the likelihood that
he much earlier persuaded Totila to spare Siponto from a Gothic attack
may not be nil but it is certainly very close to it.
In 1099 relics said to be those of L. were discovered during excavations
in a chapel in Siponto; in 1117 they were solemnly transferred to that
city's newish cathedral of Santa Maria and reinterred there under the
high altar. Views and Italian-language descriptions of this building
are here:
http://www.garganonline.net/Siponto/SMaria.htm
http://www.mondimedievali.net/Edifici/Puglia/Foggia/Manfredonia.htm
http://tinyurl.com/4ggw9
An illustrated, English-language account of it is here:
http://www.itineraweb.com/english/grandtour/5ci6s6.htm
A whole page of expandable views is here:
http://www.manfredoniaeventi.it/cultura/s_siponto/siponto/index.htm
Three pages of expandable views (black-and-white) from the
archeological campaign of 1953, including details not otherwise
shown, are here:
http://www.manfredoniaeventi.it/archeologia/siponto1/index.htm
http://www.manfredoniaeventi.it/archeologia/siponto/index.htm
http://www.manfredoniaeventi.it/archeologia/siponto/index_2.htm
And an illustrated Italian-lanugage account of its crypt is here:
http://www.enec.it/Cripte/Siponto/Costruzione.htm
with plan:
http://www.enec.it/Cripte/Siponto/Planimetria.htm
In the later thirteenth century, when subsidence had made an already
earthquake-damaged Siponto increasingly swampy and malaria-ridden, L.'s
putative remains were transferred to the cathedral of Manfredonia, the
nearby port founded as a replacement by king Manfred in 1256. They were
lost in 1620 when a raiding party of Turks destroyed the building. Its
successor, the present cathedral, is dedicated to L.
In addition to these remains, Siponto's church of Santa Maria once
housed an early medieval wooden statue of the Virgin. Known as "La
Sipontina" ("She of Siponto") since its transfer in the last century to
Manfredonia, it is shown (sort of) in the bottom illustration on this page:
http://www2.chiesacattolica.it/cci/diocesi/id_108/manfredonia.htm
TinyURL for this: http://tinyurl.com/6vqmo
Best,
John Dillon
(last year's post, revised)
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