Vitalis (Ravenna)

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The bones of the saint in the Ruprechtskirche in Vienna
Vitalis of Milan, with Richard de Montbaston (Martyrdom of being buried alive)

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

Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna . On the far left is a representation of St. Vitalis

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
Switzerland
Germany

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

Commons : Vitalis  - collection of images, videos and audio files

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).
  1. ↑ Information in Martyrium Romanum , quoted from Complete Lexicon of Saints
  2. ↑ a b quoted from Complete Lexicon of Saints
  3. ↑ 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 .
  4. ↑ → it: San Vitale Martire (Naples)
  5. ^ Parrocchia San Vitale Martire - Chiasso
  6. ↑ a b quoted from heiligenlexikon.de
  7. ↑ Parrocchia 81. Ravenna - S. Vitale , Archdiocese of Revenna-Cervio
  8. ↑ 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