Saint Domninus of Fidenza ( it, San Donnino di Fidenza) is an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

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 ...

saint. According to tradition, he died in 304 AD and was a native of

Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...

. The cathedral at

Fidenza Fidenza ( Parmigiano: ; locally ) is a town and ''comune ''in the province of Parma, Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. It has around 27,000 inhabitants. The town was renamed Fidenza in 1927, recalling its Roman name of ''Fidentia''; before, it was cal ...

(a town once called ''Borgo San Donnino'') is dedicated to him. The ''

Hieronymian Martyrology The ''Martyrologium Hieronymianum'' (meaning "martyrology of Jerome") or ''Martyrologium sancti Hieronymi'' (meaning "martyrology of Saint Jerome") is an ancient martyrology or list of Christian martyrs in calendar order, one of the most used a ...

'' commemorates Domninus, but does not include any further information about him, and his feast day is cited as occurring on October 9. He is not commemorated in the

martyrologies A martyrology is a catalogue or list of martyrs and other saints and beati arranged in the calendar order of their anniversaries or feasts. Local martyrologies record exclusively the custom of a particular Church. Local lists were enriched by na ...

of Bede, Ado, Notker, or the '' Parvum Romanum''. SanDonnino fidenza

His legend states that Domninus was

Chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

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 ...

and keeper of the royal crown, and converted to

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 ...

, thereby incurring the emperor's wrath. Pursued by imperial forces, he rode through

Piacenza Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...

holding a cross. He was caught and

beheaded 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 ...

on the banks of the Stirone, outside of Fidenza, or the

Via Aemilia The ( it, Via Emilia; en, Aemilian Way) was a trunk Roman road in the north Italian plain, running from ''Ariminum'' (Rimini), on the Adriatic coast, to ''Placentia'' (Piacenza) on the river ''Padus'' ( Po). It was completed in 187 BC. The ' ...

. It is recounted that Domninus picked up his severed head and placed it on the future site of the cathedral of San Donnino.

Veneration

His

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 tang ...

are enshrined in

Fidenza Cathedral Fidenza Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Fidenza; Cattedrale di San Donnino) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the center of the town of Fidenza, province of Parma, region of Emilia Romagna, Italy. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Fidenza, kno ...

, adding some plausibility to the tradition that he suffered martyrdom in this region. The ancient

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...

at Fidenza, rebuilt in the 12th century, includes a sculpted frieze sub-divided into five scenes representing the life of the saint. The sculptures are attributed to the school of

Benedetto Antelami Benedetto Antelami (c. 1150 – c. 1230)"Antelami, Benedetto" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 441. was an Italian architect and sculptor of the Romanesque school, w ...

. In art, Domninus is depicted in

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

attire, and holds the palm of martyrdom. Domninus' cult was popular in Northern Italy. He has been from earliest times invoked against

rabies Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, ...

; his ''Passio'' records that after water and wine was blessed and the saint invoked, anyone who drank this would be cured from rabies. Other churches dedicated to San Donnino include: * San Donnino, Modena * San Donnino, Bologna *

San Donnino Martire, Montecchio San Donnino Martire is a late-Renaissance style, Roman Catholic parish church located on Via Franchini in the town of Montecchio Emilia, in the Province of Reggio Emilia, region of Emilia-Romagna egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, ...

* San Donnino, Piacenza * San Donnino, Pisa

External links

Saints of October 9: Donnino (Domninus)

San Donnino di Fidenza, martire
3rd-century births 304 deaths Religious leaders from Parma 4th-century Christian martyrs 4th-century Romans Cephalophores Executed Italian people {{Italy-saint-stub