Saint Caesarius of Terracina (Saint Cesario deacon in Italian) was a Christian

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

. The church of San Cesareo in Palatio in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

bears his name.

Life

Caesarius was a

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, martyred at

Terracina Terracina is an Italian city and ''comune'' of the province of Latina, located on the coast southeast of Rome on the Via Appia ( by rail). The site has been continuously occupied since antiquity. History Ancient times Terracina appears in anci ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. The ''"Passio"'' (story of martyrdom) of Saint Caesarius is set in Terracina, harbor town near Rome and

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, under the pagan emperor

Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...

(r. 98–117). Caesarius, belonging to the ancient and illustrious

gens Julia The gens Julia (''gēns Iūlia'', ) was one of the most prominent patrician (ancient Rome), patrician families in ancient Rome. Members of the gens attained the highest dignities of the state in the earliest times of the Roman Republic, Republic ...

, after a shipwreck, arrived in Terracina to preach the

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

to poor people. In this Roman city, each year on the first day of January, a ceremony of self-immolation took place to assure the health and salvation of the Empire. A young man was pampered with material delights and fulfilled in all his wishes for eight months; then he was obliged to mount on a richly harnessed horse, climb up to the summit of city's cliff and throw himself into the void, with the recalcitrant

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

, to crash against the rocks and perish in the waves in honour of the god

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label= Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label ...

, as a propitiatory offering for the prosperity of the state and the emperors. The deacon Caesarius denounced this pagan custom and protested: "Alas for a state and emperors who persuade by tortures and are fattened on the outpouring of blood". The priest of Apollo named Firminus had him arrested and taken before Leontius, Roman consul of

Campania (man), it, Campana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demog ...

. During the interrogation, he refused to sacrifice to the pagan god of the sun and light, and his prayers "caused" the

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

of Apollo to collapse (located in the Forum), killing the pagan Firminus. Caesarius was then locked up in jail and, after twenty-two months, he was taken to the

Forum Forum or The Forum (plural forums or fora) may refer to: Common uses * Forum (legal), designated space for public expression in the United States *Forum (Roman), open public space within a Roman city **Roman Forum, most famous example *Internet ...

to be judged. He asked permission to pray: a radiant light blazed down on him, and the pagan consul Leontius was thereupon converted and sought baptism; he died shortly after (October 30). The 1st of November of the year 107 A.D., Luxurius, governor of the city, tied Caesarius and Julian (a local

presbyter Presbyter () is an honorific title for Christian clergy. The word derives from the Greek ''presbyteros,'' which means elder or senior, although many in the Christian antiquity would understand ''presbyteros'' to refer to the bishop functioning a ...

) up together in a sack and flung them into the sea, from a cliff called "Pisco Montano". In this way the deacon Caesarius was martyred, although not before prophesying the death of Luxurius, bitten by a poisonous viper. Caesarius and Julian, on that same day, were thrown back onto the shore and were buried by Eusebius, a servant of God, near the town of Terracina.

Cult: Caesarius as an imperial saint

Caesarius' feast day is 1 November. From the early Christian age, Caesarius of Terracina was the saint chosen for his name to consecrate the places that already belonged to the pagan Caesars to the faith of Christ. The name Caesarius means "devoted to Caesar" and is therefore linked to the great Roman leader

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...

, and to the Roman emperors as their name was precisely "Caesar". Saint Caesarius, therefore, replaced the cult of the Caesars, very difficult to eradicate because it was founded on the national self-love of the Romans.The analogy between the name of the saint and that of the rooms called ''Caesareum'' or ''Augusteum'', reserved in Roman public buildings for the cult of the emperors, has always been connected with the precise will of the Church to supplant devotion to the deceased sovereigns of Rome (rather important in paganism) with the one more tolerable towards a Christian martyr. The Palatine in the Middle Ages became a ceremonial space, rarely inhabited by the designated occupant: the emperor. In the imperial palaces of the Colle we do not find a multitude of new saints, but a single saint to strengthen the imperial majesty: Saint Caesarius. In the 4th century, the Emperor

Valentinian I Valentinian I ( la, Valentinianus; 32117 November 375), sometimes called Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. Upon becoming emperor, he made his brother Valens his co-emperor, giving him rule of the eastern provinces. Val ...

's daughter was healed at his shrine in Terracina. The emperor then moved his relics to

, first to a church on the Palatine Hill, and then to a new San Cesareo in Palatio near the

Appian Way The Appian Way (Latin and Italian: ''Via Appia'') is one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy. Its importance is indicated by its common name, ...

. The imperial chapel was named after Caesarius by Valentinian III. It has been noted that Caesarius's ''passio'' revolves around the good health or prosperity (''salus'') of the Roman Empire, borrowing the overtones of his name to suggest that the well-being of the state rested more solidly on Christian foundations than on its pagan past.Maya Maskarinec, ''City of Saints: Rebuilding Rome in the Early Middle Ages'', University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018 Terracina Cathedral (''Cattedrale dei Santi Pietro e Cesareo'') is dedicated to him and

Saint Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupat ...

Patron saint of caesarean sections

Caesarius is the protector of

Caesarean sections Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen, often performed because vaginal delivery would put the baby or m ...

. Saint Caesarius is invoked against river

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

s and

drowning Drowning is a type of suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim's situation or unable to offer as ...

s (in memory of his martyrdom), and for defence against lightning, earthquakes and meteorological calamities.

Art: precious manuscripts

The first illustrations of the history of St. Caesarius are found in precious illuminated manuscripts. Most of these manuscripts date back to the Middle Ages. In the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in a "Passionale", a Latin

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in ...

, made in 1110 for the Monastery of Saint Augustine in Canterbury (describes the lives of the Saints from September 21st to November 9th), there is the text of the Passion of Saint Caesarius of Terracina with historiated initial which represents "Martyrdom of St Caesarius" (Arundel MS 91, f. 188r.). In the

Morgan Library The Morgan Library & Museum, formerly the Pierpont Morgan Library, is a museum and research library in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It is situated at 225 Madison Avenue, between 36th Street to the south and 37th S ...

of New York in the “Book of Hours”, made in 1465 in Langres, France, there is the miniature of “Saint Caesarius” (MS G.55 fol. 132v). In the Bibliothèque nationale de France in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, in the Department of Manuscripts, the ''Speculum Historiale'' by

Vincent of Beauvais Vincent of Beauvais ( la, Vincentius Bellovacensis or ''Vincentius Burgundus''; c. 1264) was a Dominican friar at the Cistercian monastery of Royaumont Abbey, France. He is known mostly for his ''Speculum Maius'' (''Great mirror''), a major work ...

(translation by

Jean de Vignay Jean de Vignay (c. 1282/1285 – c. 1350) was a French monk and translator. He translated from Latin into Old French for the French court, and his works survive in many illuminated manuscripts. They include two military ...

) is kept, made in 1463. In this manuscript the "Passio S. Caesarii" is described with different miniatures of the life of the saints Caesarius and Julian.

Relics

The relics of the Saint Caesarius deacon and martyr are preserved in the Basilica

Santa Croce in Gerusalemme The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem or Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, ( la, Basilica Sanctae Crucis in Hierusalem) is a Catholic Minor basilica and titular church in rione Esquilino, Rome, Italy. It is one of the Seven Pilgrim ...

in Rome (basalt urn of high altar), in the

Basilica of San Frediano The Basilica of San Frediano is a Romanesque architecture, Romanesque church in Lucca, Italy, situated on the ''Piazza San Frediano''. History Fridianus (Frediano) was an Irish bishop of Lucca in the first half of the 6th century. He had a c ...

of Lucca, Tuscany (urn with six bones), and in Terracina Cathedral (urn with two shins and a reliquary arm). From March 30 to June 30, 2015, the silver reliquary arm of St. Caesarius preserved in Terracina Cathedral was exhibited at the exhibition entitled "Precious sculptures: sacred jewelry in

Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

" set up in the Braccio di Carlo Magno, in

St. Peter's Square Saint Peter's Square ( la, Forum Sancti Petri, it, Piazza San Pietro ,) is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave inside Rome, directly west of the neighborhood ( rione) of Borgo. B ...

, in the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...

, by the will of

Antonio Paolucci Antonio Paolucci (born 29 September 1939) is an Italian art historian and curator. In 2007 he was appointed director of the Vatican Museums by Pope Benedict XVI, a post he held until 2017 when he was replaced by his former deputy, Barbara Jatta. ...

, Director of the

Vatican Museums The Vatican Museums ( it, Musei Vaticani; la, Musea Vaticana) are the public museums of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of ...

. During the Middle Ages, bone fragments of the saint were translated into England: in

Glastonbury Abbey Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Its ruins, a grade I listed building and scheduled ancient monument, are open as a visitor attraction. The abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It w ...

(his relics are listed at Glastonbury in the mid-twelfth-century list of Hugh Candidus of Peterborough), in Cathedral of Exeter and in Cathedral of Lincoln. Saint Cesarius is venerated in St. Michael Church of Netcong, a borough in Morris County, New Jersey,

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. A bone fragment of Saint Cesarius is preserved in this church.''Ex ossibus S. Caesarii: Ricomposizione delle reliquie di San Cesario diacono e martire di Terracina, testi ed illustrazioni di Giovanni Guida, .l.: s.n. 2017 Other relics of Saint Caesarius deacon (with the cartouche in Latin ''" 1 November S. Caesarii diac. m."'') are preserved in Saint Anthony's Chapel in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

(

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

); in St. Martha Church in Morton Grove (

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

); in St. Joseph Cathedral in Buffalo ( New York); in St. Raphael's Cathedral (Dubuque, Iowa); in the Shrine of the Holy Relics in

Maria Stein Maria Stein (German language, German, literally Mary's stone or "Mary of the Rock") is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in central Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, Mercer County, Ohio ...

(Ohio); in

Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Notre Dame) The Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Notre Dame, Indiana, is a Catholic church on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, also serving as the mother church of the Congregation of Holy Cross (C.S.C.) in the United States. The neo-gothic ...

, Indiana; in

St Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh St Margaret's Chapel, in Edinburgh Castle, is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh, Scotland. An example of Romanesque architecture, it is a category A listed building. It was constructed in the 12th century, but fell into disuse after th ...

; in a private collection in Gnesen Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota; in Basílica of São Sebastião in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

; in Paróquia Nossa Senhora das Graças in

Caieiras Caieiras is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. The population is 102,775 (2020 est.) in an area of 97.64 km². Due to the municipality's large reforestation area, it is k ...

; and in the Manila Cathedral (

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

). An Arm Reliquary of Saint Caesarius is preserved in Kunstegewerbemuseum in Berlin. Bone fragments of St. Caesarius (with the cartouche in Latin ''"S. Caesarii diac. m."'') are preserved in

Sancta Sanctorum The Sancta Sanctorum ( it, Chiesa di San Lorenzo in Palatio ad Sancta Sanctorum) is a Roman Catholic chapel entered via the ''Scala Sancta'' (Holy Staircase) of the Lateran Palace in Rome. It was the original private chapel of the papacy before it ...

of Roma, in Cathedral of Monreale (Palermo, Italy); in Treasury of the Collegiate of St. Peter and St. Alexander in the Museum of the Chapter of the Rectory of

Aschaffenburg Aschaffenburg (; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Aschebersch'') is a town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not part of the Aschaffenburg (district), district of Aschaffenburg, but is its administrative sea ...

(Germany); in

Essen Minster Essen Minster (German: ), since 1958 also Essen Cathedral () is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Essen, the "Diocese of the Ruhr", founded in 1958. The church, dedicated to Saints Cosmas and Damian and the Blessed Virgin Mary, stands on ...

; in the Museum Frederic Marès of

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

; in the Museum de la Visitation, Moulins (France); in the Museum São Roque of Lisbon. In Italy other bone fragments of the saint are preserved in:

Udine Cathedral Udine Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Udine, ''Cattedrale di Santa Maria Maggiore'') is a Catholic cathedral located in Udine, north-eastern Italy. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Udine. History The cathedral's construction began in 1236 by will of ...

;

Naples Cathedral The Naples Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Napoli; nap, Viscuvato 'e Napule), or Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary ( it, Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, links=no), is a Roman Catholic cathedral, the main church of Naples, southern Italy, and the s ...

; Santa Brigida, Naples;

Santa Maria in Vallicella Santa Maria in Vallicella, also called Chiesa Nuova, is a church in Rome, Italy, which today faces onto the main thoroughfare of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele and the corner of Via della Chiesa Nuova. It is the principal church of the Oratorians, ...

; Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls; Santa Maria Corteorlandini, Lucca;

San Paolo Maggiore, Bologna San Paolo Maggiore, also known as San Paolo Decollato, is a Baroque-style, Roman Catholic basilica church located on Via Carbonari #18 in Bologna, region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy. History The church was commissioned between 1606 and 1611 by the B ...

;

Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians, Turin The Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice) is a church in Turin, northern Italy. Originally part of the home for poor boys founded by John Bosco, it now contains the remains of Don Bosco, and 6,000 r ...

;

Anagni Cathedral Anagni Cathedral ( it, Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata; Cattedrale di Anagni) is a Catholic cathedral in Anagni, Lazio, Italy, notable as the summer residence of the Popes for centuries (before Castel Gandolfo). Home to the cathedra of t ...

;

Verona Cathedral 250px, Verona Cathedral (2022) Verona Cathedral ( it, Cattedrale Santa Maria Matricolare; Duomo di Verona) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Verona, northern Italy, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the designation ''Santa Maria Matricolare ...

;

Foligno Cathedral Foligno Cathedral ( it, Basilica Cattedrale di San Feliciano; Duomo di Foligno) is a Catholic cathedral situated on the Piazza della Repubblica in the center of Foligno, Italy. The cathedral, built on the site of an earlier basilica, is dedicated ...

;

San Cesario di Lecce San Cesario di Lecce is a town and ''comune'' in the Italian province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It ...

; Cesa;

San Cesareo San Cesareo ( la, Ad Statuas or ''Statio ad Statuas'') is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome. In ancient times, it was on the Via Labicana or Via Latina, from Rome. Sports A.S.D. San Cesareo Calcio is an Italian associa ...

; San Cesario sul Panaro;

Asola, Lombardy Asola ( Upper Mantovano: ) is a comune in the province of Mantua, Lombardy (northern Italy). It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree of October 23, 1951. In 1516, when it was part of the Republic of Venice, it was unsucce ...

;

Guardea Guardea is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Terni in the Italian region Umbria, located about 60 km south of Perugia and about 30 km west of Terni. Among the churches is the parish church of Santi Pietro e Cesareo and the ...

;

Cava de' Tirreni Cava de' Tirreni (; Cilentan: ''A Càva'') is a city and '' comune'' in the region of Campania, Italy, in the province of Salerno, northwest of the town of Salerno. It lies in a richly cultivated valley surrounded by wooded hills, and is a p ...

;

Nave, Lombardy Nave ( Brescian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, Italy. Neighbouring communes are, from the south and clockwise: Brescia, Bovezzo, Concesio, Lumezzane, Caino, Serle and Botticino. It is located in the Garza v ...

;

Fara in Sabina Fara in Sabina, also spelled Fara Sabina, is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rieti in the Italian region Lazio, located about northeast of Rome and about southwest of Rieti. History The area was inhabited in prehistoric times, ...

Icon of St. Caesarius around the world

On the occasion of the

Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy ( la, Iubilaeum Extraordinarium Misericordiae) was a Catholic period of prayer held from 8 December 2015, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, to 20 November 2016, the Feast of Christ the King. Like pre ...

, a new

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

of Saint Caesarius martyr painted by artist Giovanni Guida was exhibited in museums, cathedrals and basilicas alongside

reliquaries A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'', by the French term ''châsse'', and historically including '' phylacteries'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary may be called a ''fereter'', and a chapel in which it is housed a ''fe ...

in which are preserved fragments of the body of the saint. The tour included sites in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, Corsica,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

and

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

. The icon has been exhibited in such museums as the Kunstegewerbemuseum in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

; Museum Frederic Marès of

; Museum São Roque of Lisbon; Museum of the Chapter of the Rectory of

) and in important basilicas ( St. Joseph Cathedral in Buffalo; St. Raphael's Cathedral in

Dubuque Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a r ...

; Saint Anthony's Chapel in

; St. Martha Church in Morton Grove; St. Michael's Church in Netcong; Manila Cathedral; and Basilica Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in

Illustrations life of Caesarius deacon and martyr

File:San Cesario diacono ed i suoi compagni naufragano a Terracina (Monte Sant'Angelo).jpg, Shipwreck of Saint Caesarius deacon in the city of Terracina. File:Predicazione dei SS. Cesario diacono e Giuliano Presbitero (Terracina, Arco Onorario).jpg, Preaching of Saints Caesarius deacon and Julian presbyter in Terracina. File:San Cesario diacono assiste al sacrificio del giovane Luciano (Pisco Montano).jpg, Saint Caesarius deacon denounces human sacrifice in Terracina. File:San Cesario diacono fa crollare il tempio di Apollo ( Tempio Maggiore di Terracina).jpg, Saint Caesarius deacon destroys the Temple of Apollo in Terracina. File:San Cesario diacono converte il console Leonzio (Basilica Forense di Terracina)..jpg, Saint Caesarius deacon converts the Roman consul Leonzio. File:Martirio dei SS. Cesario diacono e Giuliano presbitero in Terracina.jpg, Martyrdom of Saints Caesarius deacon and Julian on "Pisco Montano" of Terracina: closed in a sack and thrown into the sea ("Poena cullei"). File:Ritrovamento del corpo di San Cesario diacono e martire in Terracina.jpg, Finding of body of Saint Caesarius deacon in Terracina.

Gallery

File:Reliquia di San Cesario, Saint Anthony’s Chapel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.jpg, Relic of St. Caesarius deacon and martyr, Saint Anthony's Chapel in

, Pennsylvania. In photo, Fr. James Orr File:Netcong, il Vescovo Arthur Joseph Serratelli benedice la nuova icona di S. Cesario.jpg, Relic of St. Caesarius deacon and martyr, St. Michael's Church in Netcong, New Jersey. In photo, Bishop

Arthur J. Serratelli Arthur Joseph Serratelli (born April 18, 1944) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Paterson in New Jersey from 2004 to 2020 and as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Newark in Ne ...

File:San cesario buffalo.jpg, Bishop Richard J. Malone and Vic. Gen. Msgr. David S. Slubecky with the relics and the icon of Caesarius of Terracina, Cathedral of Buffalo (New York) File:Il cardinale Luis Antonio Tagle accanto all'icona di S. Cesario di G. Guida, Cattedrale di Manila.jpg, Relic of St. Caesarius deacon and marty,

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

Cathedral (Philippines). In photo, cardinal

Luis Antonio Tagle Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle ( ; ; born June 21, 1957) is a Filipino prelate of the Catholic Church currently serving as the Pro-Prefect for the Section of Evangelization of Dicastery for Evangelization (formerly the Congregation for the Evangel ...

File:Reliquia di San Cesario, St. Martha Church in Morton Grove (Illinois).jpg, Relic of St. Caesarius deacon and martyr, St. Martha Church in Morton Grove (Illinois). In photo Father Dennis O'Neill and deacon John Herbert File:Il team dell'Abbazia di Glastonbury con l'icona di San Cesario.jpg, Saint Caesarius in

File:Reliquia di San Cesario Cathedral of St. Raphael and St. Patrick Church in Dubuque (Iowa).jpeg, Relic of St. Caesarius deacon and martyr, Cathedral of St. Raphael and St. Patrick Church,

(Iowa) File:Pact of Sister Cities between Cesa in honor of St. Cesario, Netcong July 20 ,2019.jpeg, Netcong, St. Michael's Church, Pact of Sister Cities between Cesa in honor of St. Cesario martyr, July 20, 2019

References

External links

Catholic OnlineIllustrated book of St. Caesarius deacon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caesarius Of Africa Christian folklore Saints from Roman Africa (province) Saints from Roman Italy 3rd-century Christian clergy 3rd-century deaths 3rd-century Christian martyrs Year of birth unknown