Giles Of Santarém
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Giles of Santarém (Gil) (about 1185 – 14 May 1265) was a Portuguese Dominican scholar.


Life

He was born Gil Rodrigues de Valadares at the castle of
Vouzela Vouzela () is a municipality in the district Viseu in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 10,564, in an area of 193.69 km2. The present mayor is Rui Ladeira, elected by the Social Democratic Party. The municipal holiday is May 14. Parishes ...
. His father, Rui Pais de Valadares, was
alcaide Alcaide is a Spanish name, meaning 'castle commander'. It is borrowed from the Arabic term , which literally means 'commander'. Etymology The Spanish form is alcayde whereas Portuguese form is alcaide. Notable people * Anselmo Pardo Alcaide ...
of
Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of . The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto Metropolitan Area, Porto, and Bra ...
and councillor of Sancho I. It was the wish of his parents that Giles should enter the ecclesiastical state, and the king was very lavish in bestowing ecclesiastical benefices upon him: still a boy, he already held prebends at
Braga Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (in ...
, Coimbra, Idanha, and Santarém. Ott, Michael. "Blessed Gil of Santarem." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 6 May 2018
Giles, however, wished to become a physician. After devoting some time to the study of philosophy and medicine at Coimbra he set out for Paris. According to a popular story, he was accosted on his journey by a courteous stranger who promised to teach the art of magic at Toledo. As payment, so the legend runs, the stranger required that Giles should make over his soul to the devil and sign the compact with his blood. Giles obeyed and after devoting himself seven years to the study of magic under the direction of Satan, went to Paris, easily obtained the degree of doctor of medicine, and performed many wonderful cures. One night while he was locked up in his library a gigantic knight, armed head to foot, appeared to him and, with his sword drawn, demanded that Giles should change his wicked life. The same spectre appeared a second time, and threatened to kill Giles if he would not reform. Giles returned to Portugal, after taking the habit of St. Dominic in the newly erected monastery at
Palencia Palencia () is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Palencia. Located in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northern half o ...
, about 1221. Shortly after, his superiors sent him to the Dominican house at Santarém. Here he led a life of prayer and penance, and for seven years his mind was tormented by the thought of the compact which was still in the hands of Satan. Finally, his biographer narrates, the devil was compelled to surrender the compact and place it before the altar of the Blessed Virgin. Giles returned to Paris to study theology and on his return to Portugal became famous for his piety and learning. He was twice elected provincial of his order in Castile. He died at
Santarém, Portugal Santarém () is a city and municipality located in the district of Santarém in Portugal. The population in 2021 was 58 671,excluding the parish Pombalinho, that changed from the municipality of Santarém to Golegã in 2013 in an area of 552.54&nb ...
. He was beatified on 9 March 1748 by
Pope Benedict XIV Pope Benedict XIV ( la, Benedictus XIV; it, Benedetto XIV; 31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 17 August 1740 to his death in May 1758.Antipope ...
. The story did not appear until 300 years after his death, and is rejected by Dominican historians. It was revived in the mid-nineteenth century is some popular accounts of the lives of Dominican saints.Gumbley, Walter. “Blessed Giles Of Santarem, Confessor (Died 1765. Feast 14 May).” ''Life of the Spirit'' (1946-1964), vol. 13, no. 155, 1959, pp. 513–515. JSTOR
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References

;Attribution *


External links



{{DEFAULTSORT:Giles of Santarem 12th-century births 1265 deaths People from Vouzela Portuguese Dominicans Portuguese beatified people Portuguese Roman Catholic saints 13th-century venerated Christians 13th-century Portuguese people 13th-century translators Beatifications by Pope Benedict XIV