Orontius of Lecce
Encyclopedia
Saint Orontius of Lecce is venerated as a saint
by the Roman Catholic Church
, along with two other figures associated with his legend, Fortunatus and Justus. He is called the first bishop
of Lecce
.
who on his way to Rome
when he was shipwreck
ed at Salento
, on the beach of San Cataldo. He converted two citizens of Rudiae (present-day Lecce), Orontius and Fortunatus (Orontius was Fortunatus’ uncle), to Christianity
. Orontius' father, Publius, had been treasurer to the emperor, and Orontius had succeeded him to this office.
Orontius and Fortunatus were denounced as Christians, and they refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods. They were whipped and incarcerated, but later went to Corinth
, where Orontius met Saint Paul, and was confirmed as the first bishop of Lecce, and Fortunatus his successor. When they returned to Lecce, they were once again persecuted by the authorities. The representative of Nero, Antoninus, imprisoned Orontius and Fortunatus, threatening to kill them if they did not reject their new religion. The two refused and managed to be released, and continued to preach in the Salento and at Bari
. They were finally arrested again by Antoninus and executed with an axe
three kilometers from Lecce, on 26 August.
Justus was also martyred.
. Many priests in Ostuni during the sixteenth century were named Rontius, a variant of Orontius. He was identified with the martyr Arontius of Potenza, who is recorded in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum
. His cult in Lecce was reinvigorated by the fact that the ending of a 1656 plague there was attributed to him. A spring of water near Ostuni, considered miraculous, was associated with Orontius' cult.
Orontius is also venerated as the patron saint of Turi. His legend states that he hid in a cave near Turi. The ending of an outbreak of cholera
in 1851 was attributed to him. He also is considered to have hidden in a cave near Ostuni, and was patron of that city as well. A church and sanctuary were dedicated to him there, and the procession known as Cavalcata di Sant'Oronzo, is celebrated there. Each year a three-day festival in Ostuni is held from the 25 August to 27 August to honor him.
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
by the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, along with two other figures associated with his legend, Fortunatus and Justus. He is called the first bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Lecce
Lecce
Lecce is a historic city of 95,200 inhabitants in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Lecce, the second province in the region by population, as well as one of the most important cities of Puglia...
.
Legend
A twelfth century manuscript records one version of Orontius’ legend. Justus was a disciple of Saint PaulPaul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
who on his way 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...
when he was shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
ed at Salento
Salento
Salento is the south-eastern extremity of the Apulia region of Italy. It is a sub-peninsula of the main Italian Peninsula, sometimes described as the "heel" of the Italian "boot"...
, on the beach of San Cataldo. He converted two citizens of Rudiae (present-day Lecce), Orontius and Fortunatus (Orontius was Fortunatus’ uncle), to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Orontius' father, Publius, had been treasurer to the emperor, and Orontius had succeeded him to this office.
Orontius and Fortunatus were denounced as Christians, and they refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods. They were whipped and incarcerated, but later went to Corinth
Corinth
Corinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
, where Orontius met Saint Paul, and was confirmed as the first bishop of Lecce, and Fortunatus his successor. When they returned to Lecce, they were once again persecuted by the authorities. The representative of Nero, Antoninus, imprisoned Orontius and Fortunatus, threatening to kill them if they did not reject their new religion. The two refused and managed to be released, and continued to preach in the Salento and at Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
. They were finally arrested again by Antoninus and executed with an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
three kilometers from Lecce, on 26 August.
Justus was also martyred.
Veneration
In 1658, the separate feast days for Orontius, Fortunatus, and Justus were combined into one celebration. Orontius enjoyed a wider cult than the other two saints, and his cult was popular in Salento, Puglia and BasilicataBasilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
. Many priests in Ostuni during the sixteenth century were named Rontius, a variant of Orontius. He was identified with the martyr Arontius of Potenza, who is recorded in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum
Martyrologium Hieronymianum
The Martyrologium Hieronymianum was a medieval list of martyrs, one of the most used and influential of the Middle Ages...
. His cult in Lecce was reinvigorated by the fact that the ending of a 1656 plague there was attributed to him. A spring of water near Ostuni, considered miraculous, was associated with Orontius' cult.
Orontius is also venerated as the patron saint of Turi. His legend states that he hid in a cave near Turi. The ending of an outbreak of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
in 1851 was attributed to him. He also is considered to have hidden in a cave near Ostuni, and was patron of that city as well. A church and sanctuary were dedicated to him there, and the procession known as Cavalcata di Sant'Oronzo, is celebrated there. Each year a three-day festival in Ostuni is held from the 25 August to 27 August to honor him.