Venantius of Camerino

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Ippolito Scarsella (1550–1620): The Martyrdom of St. Venantius of Camerino , 1595/1605
Wall painting on the legend of Venantius in the nave of the St. Venantius branch church in Pfärrenbach . The one accused of the lions is not attacked by them
Depiction of the saint in an apse window of the Venantius Church in Wertheim
The Basilica of Venantius in Camerino

Venantius von Camerino (Italian: San Venanzio ; * around 235 in Camerino ; † May 18, 251 , 253 or 254 ibid) is a saint and patron of the city of Camerino in the Italian region of Marche . The 15-year-old is said to have been tortured and beheaded as part of the persecution of Christians by the Roman emperor Decius . He is venerated as a martyr in the Catholic Church and is patron of several churches in Germany and Italy. His feast day is May 18th .

Life

The legend of the life and death of the young martyr was probably written in the 12th century on the basis of the Passion of Agapitus of Praeneste .

After that, the noble Venantius was converted to Christianity and lived with a priest named Porphyry. At the time when the governor of the Emperor Decius in Camerino, Antiochus, was commissioned to have Christians revoke their faith, the revocation is said to have also been requested by Venantius. Since the youth refused, Antiochus had him thrown into dungeon and tortured. The young Christian was reportedly beaten, losing his teeth and breaking his chin. It is said to have been burned with torches and hung upside down over a fire. According to legend, it was also dragged over thistles, thorns, shards and rocks and finally thrown to the lions, who did not attack it. Shortly before the execution, he is said to have been thrown from a rock. For the thirsty soldiers who tortured him, he still made water out of a stone; on this stone he is said to have left an imprint of his knees. Venantius was subsequently beheaded.

An angel is said to appear several times during the torture, who saved him from dangerous situations and converted the prison master (or court clerk) Anastastius to Christianity. When Venantius was martyred, earthquakes and lightning are said to have occurred. The governor is said to have died in agony a few days after the Christian was murdered.

Commemoration

Venantius has been worshiped since the 9th century. The saint has been mentioned in Christian calendars since the 13th century.

Apparently Venantius was buried in an early Christian cemetery in Camerino. The Basilica of San Venanzio named after him was built in the 12th century - over the presumed grave. The church building has elements from the 5th and 6th centuries; In the originally preserved crypt there is a coffin of the saint from the 14th century. In the High Middle Ages , venantius worship became popular. Up until the 18th century, a ten-day folk festival was celebrated in his honor in Camerino, and a procession is still held there on May 18th.

It is doubtful whether bones transferred from Salona to Rome under Pope John IV , as claimed, came from Venantius.

Venantius churches in Germany named after the saint :

Pictorial representations

The saint is often depicted on portraits or coins as a Roman knight with a flag and sword, and sometimes he is holding a map of Camerino in his left hand. Portrayals of torture are also common; with a heavy stone on the neck, or hanging upside down on a pole. Representations exist for example of:

  • Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner : The Martyrdom of St. Venantius of Camerino
  • Wilhelm Völker : St. Venantius von Camerino , Venantius Church in Wertheim
  • Ippolito Scarsella: The Martyrdom of St. Venantius of Camerino , around 1600 (see photo on the right)
  • Statue in the Cathedral of San Catervo in Tolentino

Web links

Commons : Venantius von Camerino  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Benedict Pillwein: St. Venantius. In: seeds of Christianity or the holy martyrs. Cajetan Haslinger, Linz 1823, pp. 97-99, here p. 97 ( online ).
  2. a b Andreas MerktVenantius von Camerino. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 12, Bautz, Herzberg 1997, ISBN 3-88309-068-9 , Sp. 1205-1207.
  3. ^ Alfred Messerli : Disaster motifs. In: Rolf Wilhelm Brednich (Ed.): Enzyklopädie des Märchen , Volume 7, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / Boston 1993, ISBN 978-3-11-086053-5 , here Sp. 1034 ( online ).