Saint Crispoldus (sometimes ''Cyspolitus'', ''Crispoltus'', ''Chrysopolitus'', it, San Crispolto, Crispolito, Crispoldo) is venerated as a 1st-century

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

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 ...

. He is the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

Bettona Bettona (Latin: ''Vettona'') is an ancient town and comune of Italy, in the province of Perugia in central Umbria at the northern edge of the Colli Martani range. It is 5 km (3 mi) E of Torgiano and 12 km (7 mi) SW of Assisi. P ...

, in

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

, and said to have been the first bishop of that city, although the dioceses of Nocera and

Foligno Foligno (; Southern Umbrian: ''Fuligno'') is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clitunno river system. It is located so ...

also include his name in episcopal lists.Giuseppe Cappelletti, ''Le chiese d'Italia della loro origine sino ai nostri giorni'' (Venice, 1846), 398. According to a legendary ''Passio'' of the 12th century, Crispoldus was a native of

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

and one of the

Seventy Disciples The seventy disciples or seventy-two disciples, known in the Eastern Christian traditions as the seventy apostles or seventy-two apostles, were early emissaries of Jesus mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. The correct Greek terminology is evdomikont ...

; in 58 AD Crispoldus was sent to Italy by

Saint Peter Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...

to preach

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

there. Crispoldus traveled to

and performed

miracles A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...

at the town of Bettona. He was consecrated

bishop of Bettona The Italian Catholic Diocese of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino ( la, Dioecesis Assisiensis-Nucerina-Tadinensis) in Umbria, has existed since 1986. In that year the historic Diocese of Assisi, known as the birthplace of Francis of Assisi, w ...

by St. Brictius (Brizio), who was bishop of

Massa Martana Massa Martana (near the well attested ancient site of the ''Vicus Martis Tudertium'' on the Via Flaminia) is an ancient Italian town and ''comune'' in the Monti Martani mountain range in the province of Perugia (Umbria). It is 10 km N o ...

. Britius is also named as a

bishop of Spoleto The Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia ( la, Archidioecesis Spoletana-Nursina) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy. Historically, it was the Diocese of Spoleto. Elevated to the status of an archdi ...

and of

. According to Giuseppe Cappelletti, Britius may have been a regional bishop, rather than a bishop of a particular diocese, which explains his association with multiple dioceses. Crispoldus began to preach Christianity in his diocese, but was arrested by soldiers of the Roman Emperor

Maximian Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...

(250-310). He was tried before the prefect Asterius and invited to sacrifice to the

Roman gods The Roman deities most widely known today are those the Romans identified with Greek counterparts (see ''interpretatio graeca''), integrating Greek myths, iconography, and sometimes religious practices into Roman culture, including Latin litera ...

. Crispoldus refused, and was killed after being tortured. At the same time, a man named Barontius (Baronzio) was

decapitated Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...

for being a Christian. Crispoldus’ sister Tutela, along with twelve other women, attempted to bury Crispoldus and Barontius, but were arrested in the attempt. They also refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods and were put to death. Their martyrdom is said to have occurred on May 12. Crispoldus' Germanic name makes his connection to the Apostles unlikely and probably legendary.

Veneration

A church was built on the site of Crispoldus’ martyrdom in what is now Passaggio di Bettona, a frazione of the Comune of Bettona. Crispoldus is mentioned in a document dating from 1018, found in the archives of

Assisi Cathedral Assisi Cathedral ( it, Cattedrale di Assisi or ''Cattedrale di San Rufino di Assisi''), dedicated to San Rufino (Rufinus of Assisi) is a major church in Assisi, Italy. This stately church in Umbrian Romanesque style was the third church built o ...

. The church of San Crispolto was built in the 8th century when the remains of the saint were moved inside the walls of the historic center. There the silver and gilded reliquary bust of the saint resides in the transept to the left of the main altar. It was subsequently renovated in the 18th century with a brick facade by Antonio Stefanucci. Originally Benedictine the church was later given to the Franciscan Order. A new church, Santa Maria Maggiore, was built within the walls of Bettona in the 13th century, and was consecrated by Bishop Guido of Bettona in 1225. In 1266, the church became a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

foundation and then became a

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

church. The church was restored in 1266 and also in 1797. The most recent renovation was necessary after damage from the 1997 earthquake that damaged the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi.

References

{{authority control Saints from the Holy Land Bishops of Foligno Italian Roman Catholic saints 1st-century Christian martyrs