Candidus (saint)

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Fresco of St Candidus by Michael Pacher (1520) in Innichen Abbey

Candidus was one of the martyrs of the Theban Legion of Mauritius who refused to participate in the persecution of Christians .

According to legend, he was executed at Agaunum around 302 . His feast day is September 22nd. The name of the French community Saint-Xandre is derived from him.

The bones of the martyrs were found again around 380, and a church was built over the tombs, which became a place of pilgrimage ( Saint-Maurice Abbey ). A Romanesque head reliquary in the treasure of the collegiate church contains his skull bones. It originated after 1150 (probably in the third quarter of the 12th century). The fully plastic head is on a base, which shows a relief on the front with the depiction of the decapitation of the martyr and the other sides of which are worked as a round arch. It is a work in embossed silver sheets over wooden cores, decorated with precious stones (head ring and neckline). The head is hollow and can be opened with the help of a flap on the skull. Inside, in addition to the bones, there are other reliquary packages that are attributed to the saint.

Bones in the reliquary bust of the St. Lambertus collegiate church in Düsseldorf are also attributed to Saint Candidus. This attribution comes from Paul Clemen , who links the reliquary, which is, according to another opinion, assigned to Saint Vitalis with the head of Saint Candidus mentioned in the inventory of the collegiate church in 1393. If possible, these relics relate to another Candidus. In the 4th or 5th century, after the death of H. Servatius , this Candidus of Maastricht was in charge of the diocese of Tongern-Maastricht without being a bishop. Another reliquary of this Candidus, also from the 12th century, is in the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels .

  • Shrine in Barcelona

  • Head reliquary in Saint-Maurice

  • Head reliquary in Düsseldorf

  • Reliquary in Brussels

literature

  • Paul W. Roth: Soldiers Saints , Verlag Styria, Graz Vienna Cologne, 1993, ISBN 3-222-12185-0

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Rudolf Schnyder: "The head reliquary of St. Candidus in St-Maurice." In: Journal for Swiss Archeology and Art History. Ed .: Directorate of the Swiss National Museum in Zurich. Volume 24, 1965/66, issue 2. pp. 65–128
  2. ↑ Brigitte Falk: "Portrait reliquaries. On the origin and development of metal head, busts and half-figure reliquaries in the Middle Ages." In: " Aachener Kunstblätter des Museumsverein ". Ed .: Peter Ludwig. Publishing house Dumont Schauberg, Cologne. Volume 59.1991 / 93, pp. 99-238. The description of the Swiss reliquary can be found on pp. 198–200, the Düsseldorf reliquary is described on pp. 175–178.
  3. ^ Paul Clemen (ed.): "The art monuments of the city and the district of Düsseldorf. On behalf of the provincial association of the Rhine province." Schwann, Düsseldorf 1894, p. 45
  4. ↑ Renate Kroos (1985): The shrine of St. Servatius in Maastricht and the four associated reliquaries in Brussels , pages 26-27, 253-255. Central Institute for Art History, Munich. ISBN 3422007725 .
personal data
SURNAME Candidus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Saint
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century
DATE OF DEATH at 302
Place of death at Agaunum