Atto of Pistoia: ''Santo Atão''; c. 1070 – 22 May 1153) was a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

bishop and a professed member from the

Vallumbrosan Order The Vallombrosians (alternately spelled Vallombrosans, Vallumbrosians or Vallumbrosans) are a monastic Religious order (Catholic), religious order in the Catholic Church. They are named after the location of Vallombrosa Abbey, their motherhouse fou ...

as well as the Bishop of Pistoia and a noted historiographer.

Life

Atto was born around 1070. Spanish historian

Enrique Flórez Enrique or Henrique Flórez de Setién y Huidobro (July 21, 1702August 20, 1773) was a Spanish historian. Biography Flórez was born in Villadiego. At 15 years old, he entered the order of St Augustine. He subsequently became professor of theol ...

thought Atto was from

Badajoz Badajoz (; formerly written ''Badajos'' in English) is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana. The population ...

in Extremadura, Spain close to the Portuguese border.Mateucci, Benvenuto. "Attone (Atto) di Pistoia", Santi e Beati, November 19, 2001
/ref> He went as a pilgrim to Italy, and stopped at

Vallombrosa Abbey Vallombrosa is a Benedictine abbey in the ''comune'' of Reggello (Tuscany, Italy), about 30 km south-east of Florence, in the Apennines, surrounded by forests of beech and firs. It was founded by Florentine nobleman Giovanni Gualberto in ...

where he was welcomed by the abbot, Bernardo degli Uberti. By 1100 he was a Vallombrosian monk at Vallombrosa (in

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

), and became Abbot in 1105. He became abbott-general around 1120. He wrote lives of

John Gualbert Giovanni Gualberto (c. 985 – 12 July 1073) was an Italian Roman Catholic abbot and the founder of the Vallumbrosan Order. Born into a noble family, Gualberto was a predictably vain individual who sought pleasure in vanities and romantic intri ...

and

Bernard degli Uberti Bernardo degli Uberti (c. 1060 – 4 December 1133) was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate who was a professed member and served as an abbot of the Vallumbrosan Order. Uberti served as the Bishop of Parma from 1106 until his death and was appointed ...

bishop of Parma The Italian Catholic Diocese of Parma ( la, Dioecesis Parmensis) has properly been called Diocese of Parma-Fontevivo since 1892.

. In 1135 Atto was made Bishop of Pistoia, also in Tuscany. He continued to follow the rule of his order and served as visitor to the monasteries. Together with his Canons he recited the Hours of the Divine Office, as was already customary in the Cloister. As bishop, he managed the delicate relationship with the municipal authorities of Pistoia, often marked by breakdowns and clashes. In 1145 he transferred to

Pistoia Pistoia (, is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of a province of the same name, located about west and north of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno. It is a typi ...

from

Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...

certain relics of the Apostle

James the Great James the Great, also known as James, son of Zebedee, Saint James the Great, Saint James the Greater, Saint James the Elder, or Saint Jacob (Aramaic ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܙܒܕܝ, Arabic يعقوب, Hebrew בן זבדי , '' Yaʿăqōḇ'', Latin '' ...

and dedicated an altar to Saint James in the Cathedral of Saint Zeno to house them.Shahan, Thomas. "Atto of Pistoia." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 13 April 2020 This later gave rise to a chapel dedicated to St. James. This had both economic and political ramifications, as pilgrims soon began to come to Pistoia to honor the saint. He also built a hospital in honor of the apostle. In 1337 the body of the saint was found inside the Church of San Giovanni in Corte and from there moved to the Cathedral of San Zeno. From the middle of the seventeenth century, up to the beginning of the nineteenth century, on the day of June 21, in his honor, the so-called "fires of Sant'Atto" were held in Piazza Duomo. People from neighboring districts would flock to the square, which was illuminated with countless torches displayed from ornate window sills.Rafanelli, Francesca. "Sant’Atto monaco e vescovo", Diocesi de Pistoia
/ref>

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Atto Of Pistoia 1070s births 1153 deaths 12th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Portugal 12th-century Christian saints 12th-century Portuguese historians Portuguese Roman Catholic saints Portuguese Benedictines