Bernardo Tolomei

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Bernardo Tolomei ( fresco in Monte Oliveto Maggiore)

Bernardo Tolomei (born May 10, 1272 in Siena , † August 20, 1348 near Siena) is a saint of the Catholic Church and founder of the Olivetan community .

Live and act

He was born in Siena in 1272 as the son of the noble Tolomei family and baptized Giovanni (Johannes). His father was Giovanni di Mino Tolomei, his mother Fluvia Tancredi. He received his education from the Dominicans who lived in the Collegio of the Basilica di San Domenico . He wanted to become a clergyman early on, but out of consideration for his father, he first studied philosophy and law. At that time he was already a member of the Confraternita dei Disciplinati di Santa Maria della Notte in the Hospital Santa Maria della Scala . For a while he was active in the army of Rudolph von Habsburg . On his return he was active in the politics of the city of Siena and was elected to one of the highest positions in the city. At that time he went blind. According to tradition, he regained his sight through the intervention of the Virgin Mary .

In 1313 he left Siena with two friends, Patrizio Patrizi († 1347) and Ambrogio Piccolomini († 1338). They retired to one of his family's properties in Accona near the Accona desert in the Crete Senesi in the then diocese of Arezzo . In honor of Bernhard von Clairvaux , he took the monk name Bernardo.

As more and more people joined him, opponents accused him of blasphemy. Pope John XXII. declared him innocent in Avignon . On March 26, 1319, Guido Tarlati, as Bishop of Arezzo, allowed him to found an order based on the rule of the Benedictines . In 1319 he founded the Monte Oliveto Maggiore monastery . The first abbot was Patrizio Patrizi in the same year, followed by Ambrogio Piccolomini and Simone di Tura da Siena († 1348). In 1322 he became head of the monastery himself. He held this office until his death. In 1344 the order of Pope Clement VI. accepted.

On August 20, 1348, Bernardo Tolomei died during a plague epidemic near Siena while caring for plague sufferers.

Afterlife

In 1634 he was beatified. His feast day was originally August 20 (the feast day of Bernard of Clairvaux) and was postponed to August 19 in 1680.

The monastery of Santa Maria di Monte Oliveto Maggiore became the starting point of the Olivetan order, the order of the "White Benedictines". This order represents a strictly centralized branch order of the Benedictines. Among other monasteries of the Olivetans the monastery of San Miniato al Monte in Florence should be mentioned. His beatification took place on August 31, 1768 by Pope Clement XIII. In 1973 the Order of the Olivetans joined the Benedictines.

After the consistory of February 21, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI announced. the canonization of Tolomei, which took place in a solemn ceremony on April 26, 2009 in Rome .

literature

Web links

Commons : Bernardo Tolomei  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Enciclopedia Italiana
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h vatican.va
personal data
SURNAME Tolomei, Bernardo
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Tolomei, Giovanni (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian saint and founder of the order
DATE OF BIRTH May 10, 1272
PLACE OF BIRTH Siena
DATE OF DEATH August 20, 1348
Place of death at Siena