Vitalis (Ravenna)
Vitalis , also known as Vitalis of Milan († around 60 ? In Ravenna ) was an early Christian martyr and saint .
Vita
There is little reliable information about his life. He is said to have been baptized by Gaius of Milan with his family and to have comforted the doctor Ursicinus of Ravenna before his martyrdom during the Neronian persecution of Christians and buried his remains. As a punishment for this he was tortured on the rack and buried alive in a pit or burned on the instructions of the judge Paulinus . His wife Valeria was martyred in Milan around the same time.
There is some information that is incompatible with the saint's death in the first century, such as the dating of his martyrdom to the time of Emperor Marcus Aurelius or the fatherhood of Gervasius and Protasius (who only lived in the third century). Presumably this is a mix-up with people of the same name.
Devotion, iconography and patronage
Vitalis is the patron saint of the city of Ravenna . Of importance is the Holy especially because of the eponymous Basilica of San Vitale , the part of the UNESCO - World Heritage is. It was built in 547 over the place of his martyrdom.
His relics were brought to Esslingen am Neckar by Abbot Fulrad in the eighth century and buried there in a previous building of the St. Dionys Church.
iconography
The saintly attribute of Vitalis is a spiky club , otherwise his martyrdom.
In the dome in San Vitale in Ravenna the saint is depicted with the attributes of the martyr's crown (presented by Christ) and the church (presented by an angel).
Vitalis of Ravenna churches
- Italy
- San Vitale , basilica in Ravenna
- Santi Vitale, Valeria, Gervasio e Protasio , Rome-Monti
- Chiesa di San Vitale Martire , Naples, Napoli
- Switzerland
- San Vitale martire , Chiasso TI (catholic)
- Germany
- St. Vitalis I and St. Vitalis II, see St. Dionys town church (Esslingen am Neckar) # predecessor buildings
Remembrance day: vitality day and farmer rules
Catholic feast day is April 28th , together with his wife Valeria , or, in Ravenna, November 4th (on which the Vitalis of Bologna is venerated).
The vitality day, April 28th, is passed down as a lottery day , especially from West Prussia . On this day, the church tax to be paid in kind Kalende ( called Strena ) was due.
A corresponding pawn rule is:
- "If it freezes on the day of St. Vital / it will probably freeze 15 more times."
Web links
- Ravenna's mosaic. Basilica di San Vitale / The Mosaics of Ravenna, Basilica di San Vitale Absiden. The aspis. Lars-Olof Albertson 2005 (photo details of the icon in the dome, Danish)
Individual evidence
- Vitalis . In: Ecumenical Saint Lexicon (www.heiligenlexikon.de).
- Vitalis, S. (21) . In: Complete Lexicon of Saints. Volume 5. Augsburg 1882, pp. 741-742 (online zeno.org).
- ↑ Information in Martyrium Romanum , quoted from Complete Lexicon of Saints
- ↑ a b quoted from Complete Lexicon of Saints
- ↑ The beginning of medieval archeology - the town church of St. Dionys in Esslingen. State Office for Monument Preservation Baden-Württemberg, accessed on July 13, 2015 .
- ↑ → it: San Vitale Martire (Naples)
- ^ Parrocchia San Vitale Martire - Chiasso
- ↑ a b quoted from heiligenlexikon.de
- ↑ Parrocchia 81. Ravenna - S. Vitale , Archdiocese of Revenna-Cervio
- ↑ quoted from Kalénde . In: Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon . 6th edition. Volume 10, Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig / Vienna 1907, p. 454 .; see Vitālis [1]. ibid., Volume 20, p. 195.
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Vitalis |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Saint of the Christian Church and martyr |
DATE OF BIRTH | 1st century BC BC or 1st century |
DATE OF DEATH | at 60 |
Place of death | Ravenna |