Romulus of Genoa

Infobox Saint
name=Saint Romulus of Genoa
birth_date=
death_date=
feast_day=November 6 (formerly October 13, December 22)
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church


imagesize=250px
caption="The Saint Romulus at San Romolo Church" (in the San Romolo district of Sanremo)
birth_place=
death_place=Sanremo, Liguria, Italy
titles=Bishop and Confessor
beatified_date=
beatified_place=
beatified_by=
canonized_date=
canonized_place=
canonized_by=
attributes=depicted with episcopal dress and a sword in hand
patronage=
major_shrine=
suppressed_date=
issues=

Saint Romulus of Genoa (Italian: Romolo, Ligurian: Rœmu ["Rœmu" is phonetically very similar to "Remo", the Italian form of "Remus", but there are no relationships at all with Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome] ) was a Bishop of Genoa, successor to Saint Syrus. [His lead coffin rests upon that of Syrus beneath the high altar of the Church of San Siro. (Robert Walter Carden, "The City of Genoa," 1908: 79.] His dates are uncertain: since Jacobus da Varagine ["Chronicon Januense"] traditional lists compiled from local liturgies generally place his bishopric fourth in a largely legendary list. [The early lists noted in Carden 1908:76-77 included Grassi, "I Vescovi di Genova."] He fled from Genoa and never returned [Jacobus da Varagine's statement suggested to Carden a date during the first Lombard occupation of the city, 589-645 (Carden 1908:80).] He died in the cave he inhabited at Villa Matutiæ [Named for the Roman goddess presiding over childbirth, Mater Matuta; also known as Villa Matuzia, Villa Matutiana and Vicus Matutianus; whether a Roman villa or a "vicus" is not established.] , a town on the Italian Riviera which later adopted his name, becoming "San Remo" (from 15th century until the first half of the 20th century), and then later Sanremo [ [http://www.comunedisanremo.it/download/documenti/statuto.pdf Statute of Sanremo Municipality] it] .

Veneration

In 876 the bishop Sabbatinus brought his remains to Genoa, to the church of San Siro, where a new structure was consecrated in 1023.

Since he was invoked in defence of Villa Matutiæ from its inhabitants during enemy attack, the saint is depicted with episcopal dress and a sword in hand.

St Romulus' feast day had been kept on October 13, the traditional date of his death, as well as on December 22. In the Archdiocese of Genoa his feast day is now celebrated on November 6, together with two more of its early bishops: Saint Valentine of Genoa and Saint Felix of Genoa.

Notes

References

* [http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1013.htm#romu Saints O'the Day: "St. Romulus"]
* [http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/74100 (Antonio Borelli) "Santi e Beati: San Romolo di Genova"] it icon