Asprenas

This article deals with Saint Asprenas. For the Roman senators named Asprenas, see Lucius Nonius Asprenas

Asprenas (also: Aspren or Asprenus ) ( Italian: Sant'Asprenato, Sant'Aspreno, Sant'Aspremo ) († around 79 in Naples ) was an early Christian saint and, according to tradition, the first bishop of Naples .

According to legend , when Peter went ashore in Naples on his second journey from Antioch to Rome , he first met Asprenas' wife Candida the Elder , who was immediately relieved of her headache by the encounter. Asprenas himself was seriously ill, but was also cured immediately when he met Peter and was then baptized. Peter then consecrated Asprenas bishop over the parish of the city of Naples, where he had the chapel of Santa Maria del Principo built, which later became the basilica of Santa Restitutadeveloped. A period of 23 years is usually assumed for the episcopate of Asprenas. The earliest evidence for the existence of the asprenas is the so-called marble calendar of Naples ( Calendario Marmoreo di Napoli ) from the time of the emperors Trajan and Hadrian .

The saint's feast day is November 3rd . His bones are said to have been brought to the Basilica of Santa Restituta by Bishop John IV of Naples at the beginning of the 9th century. After Saint Januarius, Asprenas was the second to be declared one of the city patrons of Naples, of which there are over 50 today.