Ansanus

Infobox Saint
name=Saint Ansanus
birth_date=c. 285
death_date=c. 304
feast_day=1 December
venerated_in=

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imagesize=250px
caption="St Ansanus Baptizing", by Giovanni di Paolo
birth_place=
death_place=Siena
titles=Martyr
beatified_date=
beatified_place=
beatified_by=
canonized_date=
canonized_place=
canonized_by=
attributes=depicted as a young man holding a cluster of dates; holding a heart or liver; palm of martyrdom; heart with IHS; depicted being boiled in oil or beheaded; banner with a cross; baptismal cup; fountain
patronage=Siena, Italy
major_shrine=
suppressed_date=
issues=

Saint Ansanus (Italian: Sant'Ansano) (died 304 AD), called "The Baptizer" or "The Apostle of Siena", is the patron saint of Siena, a scion of the Anician family of Rome.

Legend

His legend states that he was born of a noble Roman family. While still a child, Ansanus was secretly baptized by his nurse Maxima (venerated as "St. Maxima of Rome") and was secretly brought up as a Christian. Ansanus openly declared his Christian faith during the persecutions of Diocletian, when he was nineteen years old.

According to tradition, Ansanus and Maxima were scourged; Maxima died from this. Ansanus, however, survived this torture, as well as the next one: being thrown into a pot of boiling oil. He was then taken to the city of Siena as a prisoner. He managed to preach Christianity there and make many converts to this religion. He was decapitated by order of Diocletian.

It is also said that his own father denounced him to the authorities, but Ansanus managed to escape, and converted many at Bagnorea and later at Siena.

Veneration

He was venerated as one of the patron saints of Siena. He is depicted in the "Maestà" of Duccio.

ources

*cite book
last =Ferguson
first =George
title =Signs and Symbols in Christian Art
publisher =Oxford University Press
date =1961
location =London
pages =104
id =ISBN 0195014324

External links

* [http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1201.htm#ansa Saints of December 1: Ansanus the Baptizer]
*it icon [http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/79975 Sant’Ansano di Siena]