Saint Didier of Rennes was a 7th-century bishop; he was born in

Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...

, in Brittany, and died near what is now called Saint-Dizier-l'Évêque in the

Territoire de Belfort The Territoire de Belfort () is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, eastern France. It had a population of 141,318 in 2019.Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...

in the 7th century, where he studied and became bishop. He went on a pilgrimage to Rome in a group that included Saint Reinfroid. On the return voyage he passed through German lands and then south of the

Vosges The Vosges ( , ; german: Vogesen ; Franconian and gsw, Vogese) are a range of low mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single ...

, near today's Saint-Dizier-l'Évêque, around 672 or 673, and was welcomed in the local church. Having preached there, he went on the road again but was soon attacked by robbers who killed him and his acolytes near the village of

Croix, Territoire de Belfort Croix () is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in northeastern France. See also *Communes of the Territoire de Belfort department The following is a list of the 101 communes of the Territoire de Belfo ...

. Didier was buried in the church and a cult arose around him, as is attested in a 727 charter in

Murbach Abbey Murbach Abbey (french: Abbaye de Murbach) was a famous Benedictine monastery in Murbach, southern Alsace, in a valley at the foot of the Grand Ballon in the Vosges. The monastery was founded in 727 by Eberhard, Count of Alsace, and established a ...

. Various miracles are ascribed to him. His feast day is 18 September.

The feet of Saint Dizier

A rock named "The step of the devil and the feet of Saint Didier", found near Saint-Dizier-l'Évêque, has indentations that local legend claims are the remains of a struggle between the devil and the saint.

Towns named for Saint Didier

Many communities in France are named for this Saint Didier including Saint-Didier, Ille-et-Vilaine, but many honor other saints of the same name.

References

Bibliographie

External links

* * {{cite web, url=https://www.lieux-insolites.fr/belfort/fou/fou.htm , title= La Pierre des Fous , website=lieux-insolites.fr, accessdate=11 November 2016 7th-century Frankish bishops