Dalmatius of Pavia ( it, San Dalmazzo, Dalmazio) (died 254 or 304 AD) is venerated as a
saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
by the
Roman Catholic Church
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 ...
and the
Orthodox Church
Orthodox Church may refer to:
* Eastern Orthodox Church
* Oriental Orthodox Churches
* Orthodox Presbyterian Church
* Orthodox Presbyterian Church of New Zealand
* State church of the Roman Empire
* True Orthodox church
See also
* Orthodox (di ...
. It is possible that Dalmatius was simply a local preacher of northern Italy, but the century in which he lived or the manner in which he died is unknown.
He was venerated at what was called ''Pedona'' (present-day
Borgo San Dalmazzo
Borgo San Dalmazzo ( oc, Lo Borg Sant Dalmatz) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about southwest of Cuneo.
Borgo San Dalmazzo takes its name from Saint Dalm ...
). His biography was composed in the 7th or 8th centuries, its author perhaps a
Lombard monk of the
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
of Pedona who was drawing from oral tradition.
His biography states that Dalmatius was born at ''Forum Germarzorum'' (present-day
San Damiano Macra
San Damiano Macra is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about northwest of Cuneo.
San Damiano Macra borders the following municipalities: Cartignano, Castelm ...
) and became a churchman and evangelizer in Pedona.
In the 10th century, when the area of Pedona was devastated during
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
raids, Dalmatius’
relics
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
were carried to
Quargnento
Quargnento (; pms, Quargnent) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about east of Turin and about northwest of Alessandria.
It is home to a notable Catholic basilica, ''San Dalmazi ...
, where an inscription on his tomb read: ''
c requiescit corpus sancti Dalmatii repositum ab Audace episcopo Astensi''.
In France, a tradition dating from the 9th century held that he died a
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 ...
. Later legends state that he evangelized many cities of
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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,
Emilia
Emilia may refer to:
People
* Emilia (given name), list of people with this name
Places
* Emilia (region), a historical region of Italy. Reggio, Emilia
* Emilia-Romagna, an administrative region in Italy, including the historical regions of Emi ...
, and
Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
, and was killed for his faith in 254 or 304 AD.
The ''
Roman Martyrology
The ''Roman Martyrology'' ( la, Martyrologium Romanum) is the official martyrology of the Catholic Church. Its use is obligatory in matters regarding the Roman Rite liturgy, but dioceses, countries and religious institutes may add duly approved ...
'', based on erroneous episcopal lists, considers Dalmatius a bishop of Pavia and lists his feast day as December 5.
Notes and references
External links
Dalmatius of PaviaSan Dalmazio (Dalmazzo) di Pavia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dalmatius Of Pavia
4th-century Christian martyrs
304 deaths
Saints from Roman Italy
Religious leaders from Pavia
Year of birth unknown