Minias of Florence
Encyclopedia
Saint Minias (3rd century) is venerated as the first Christian
martyr of Florence
. The church of San Miniato al Monte is dedicated to him. According to legend, he was an Armenian king or prince serving in the Roman Army
-or making a penitential pilgrimage
to Rome
- who had decided to become a hermit
near Florence.
He was denounced as a Christian
and in 250 AD brought before Emperor Decius
, who was persecuting Christians. Miniato refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was put through numerous torments –he was thrown into a furnace, was lapidated, and was thrown to a lion or a panther at an amphitheater- from which he emerged unharmed. Finally, he was beheaded
near the present Piazza della Signoria
, but his legend states that he picked up his own head
. Miniato then crossed the Arno
and returned to his hermitage
on the hill known as Mons Fiorentinus (Monte di Firenze).
in the church dedicated to him, begun by Alibrando, Bishop of Florence, in 1013 and endowed by Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
.
The historicity of the saint is uncertain. It is possible that there was a saint with this name who was martyred near the Arno. He may simply have been a soldier who was executed for spreading Christianity in the army.
His cult may also have arisen from the fact that a relic
from a location in the East, such as Egypt
, was brought to the church that would be known as San Miniato.
The tradition of him picking up his own head –a hagiographic
trope- was first recorded by Giovanni Villani
.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
martyr of Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. The church of San Miniato al Monte is dedicated to him. According to legend, he was an Armenian king or prince serving in the Roman Army
Roman army
The Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome , the Roman Republic , the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine empire...
-or making a penitential pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
- who had decided to become a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
near Florence.
He was denounced as a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and in 250 AD brought before Emperor Decius
Decius
Trajan Decius , was Roman Emperor from 249 to 251. In the last year of his reign, he co-ruled with his son Herennius Etruscus until they were both killed in the Battle of Abrittus.-Early life and rise to power:...
, who was persecuting Christians. Miniato refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was put through numerous torments –he was thrown into a furnace, was lapidated, and was thrown to a lion or a panther at an amphitheater- from which he emerged unharmed. Finally, he was beheaded
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
near the present Piazza della Signoria
Piazza della Signoria
Piazza della Signoria is an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. It was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio....
, but his legend states that he picked up his own head
Cephalophore
A cephalophore is a saint who is generally depicted carrying his or her own head; in art, this was usually meant to signify that the subject in question had been martyred by beheading....
. Miniato then crossed the Arno
Arno
The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber.- Source and route :The river originates on Mount Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a southward curve...
and returned to his hermitage
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
on the hill known as Mons Fiorentinus (Monte di Firenze).
Veneration
Minias’ relics rest in a cryptCrypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
in the church dedicated to him, begun by Alibrando, Bishop of Florence, in 1013 and endowed by Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
.
The historicity of the saint is uncertain. It is possible that there was a saint with this name who was martyred near the Arno. He may simply have been a soldier who was executed for spreading Christianity in the army.
His cult may also have arisen from the fact that a relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
from a location in the East, such as Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, was brought to the church that would be known as San Miniato.
The tradition of him picking up his own head –a hagiographic
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
trope- was first recorded by Giovanni Villani
Giovanni Villani
Giovanni Villani was an Italian banker, official, diplomat and chronicler from Florence who wrote the Nuova Cronica on the history of Florence. He was a leading statesman of Florence but later gained an unsavory reputation and served time in prison as a result of the bankruptcy of a trading and...
.