Aspren or Asprenas ( it, Sant'Asprenato, Sant'Aspreno, Sant'Aspremo) was 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 ...
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 ...
and venerated as the first
Bishop of Naples
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Naples ( la, Archidioecesis Neapolitana) is a Roman Catholic archdioceses in southern Italy, the see being in Naples. A Christians, Christian community was founded there in the 1st century AD and the diocese of N ...
.
Life
Aspren lived at the end of the 1st century and in the early 2nd century, as confirmed by archaeological studies regarding the early Neapolitan Church as well as the fact that "Aspren" was a common name during the days of the
Roman Republic and the early years of the
Roman Empire and afterwards fell into disuse.
The Marble Calendar of
Naples (''Calendario Marmoreo di Napoli'') attests to Aspren's existence and the fact that he lived during the reigns of
Trajan and
Hadrian
Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
; Aspren's episcopate is stated as lasting twenty-three years.
Legend
Nothing is known of his life, but an ancient legend holds that
Saint Peter, on his way to
Rome, stopped at Naples and converted an old woman (identified as
Candida the Elder
Saint Candida the Elder ( it, Candida la Vecchia) (died 78 AD) was a supposed early Christian saint and resident of Naples, Italy.
According to her legend, Candida was an elderly woman who hospitably welcomed Saint Peter the Apostle, when he wa ...
) after he cured her of an illness.
Numerous other converts to
Christianity were made during this time in Naples, including Aspren, who was converted either by Peter or Candida.
Catholic Online
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The legend tells that Aspren was sick, and was cured by St. Peter, but this cannot be confirmed. Peter consecrated Aspren as bishop of Naples and asked him to construct the oratory of Santa Maria del Principio, which would form the basis for the basilica of Santa Restituta; San Pietro ad Aram was also said to have been built during this time.
Veneration
After Aspren's death, numerous miracles were attributed to him, and his sepulcher rested in the oratory of Santa Maria del Principio, although some scholars state that his sepulcher was located in the Catacombs of San Gennaro, where images of the first fourteen Neapolitan bishops can be found.John IV, Bishop of Naples
Saint John IV (died 17 December 849), called the Peacemaker and known in Italian as Giovanni d'Acquarola or Giovanni Scriba,Flavia De Rubeis"Giovanni Scriba, santo" ''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani'', 56 (Rome: Istituto dell'Enciclopedia It ...
translated Aspren's relics to the basilica of Santa Restituta, in the chapel dedicated to Aspren.Bernardo Tesauro
Bernardo Tesauro (1440–1500) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. He was born in Naples. He was a relative of Filippo Tesauro. He was a pupil of Silvestre dei Buoni. He painted an ''Assumption of the Virgin'' for the church of S ...
would paint frescoes in this chapel.
See also
Aspirin (a pain killer commonly used to reduce discomfort from headache
Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches.
Headaches can occur as a result ...
s and migraine
Migraine (, ) is a common neurological disorder characterized by recurrent headaches. Typically, the associated headache affects one side of the head, is pulsating in nature, may be moderate to severe in intensity, and could last from a few hou ...
s)
Notes
External links
Sant' Aspreno di Napoli
{{Authority control
Italian Roman Catholic saints
Bishops of Naples
1st-century Christian saints