Romedius
Encyclopedia
Saint Romedius was a son of the Tyrolese
count of Thaur
(in the Inn Valley near Innsbruck
). Though the son of a nobleman, as a young man he withdrew to a rock cave in order to meditate. After the death of his parents, he gave away all of his possessions and established himself in the Val di Non
(German Nonstal) in Trentino.
Romedius is often depicted alongside or astride a bear
. According to his hagiography
he wanted to visit the friend of his youth, St. Vigilius, Bishop of Trento, (who died in 405), but his horse was torn to pieces by a wild bear. Romedius, however, had the bear bridled by his disciple David (Davide). The bear became docile and carried Romedius on its back to Trento
. The tamed bear is a motif also of Saint Corbinian
, bishop of Freising.
at the head of the Val di Non, above the village of Sanzeno
. The sanctuary where Romedio lived with his bear companion is a complex of several churches, from the Romanesque period to the 19th century beyond a gateway in the forested slopes. Votive offerings of crutches line the walls of the narrow stone stairwell up to the highest chapel, said to be the saint's retreat.
His local cult, which consolidated itself in the course of the eleventh century, was officially recognized in the twelfth by the Bishop of Trento. In 1795, permission was given to read masses in his name in the diocese of Brixen, which at that time included the Northern Tyrol
. His cult remains popular in Trentino, Bavaria
, and the Tyrol
.
, purchased Charlie, a bear intended to be killed, and donated it to the Sanctuary of San Romedio, in the Valle di Non.
Today, the Province of Trentino protects the last brown bear
s of the Alps in the Adamello-Brenta National Park, and, near the Sanctuary, takes care of young bears born in captivity in Trentino http://www.dolomiti.it/ita/speciali/spirito/leggende.htm.
In the work known as Illustrissimi
, a collection of letters written by Pope John Paul I
when he was Patriarch of Venice
, Romedius' bear is one of the "recipients" of the letters.
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
count of Thaur
Thaur
Thaur is a municipality in the district of Innsbruck-Land and is located 5 km east of Innsbruck between Rum, Austria and Hall in Tirol. As a matter of fact that Thaur is not far away from the capital it is a popular area of settlement nowadays but the old village core is still intact.Settlement of...
(in the Inn Valley near Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
). Though the son of a nobleman, as a young man he withdrew to a rock cave in order to meditate. After the death of his parents, he gave away all of his possessions and established himself in the Val di Non
Val di Non
The Non Valley is a valley located mainly in Trentino, with three, primarily German-speaking enclaves belonging to the province of South Tyrol , in the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, northern Italy....
(German Nonstal) in Trentino.
Romedius is often depicted alongside or astride a bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
. According to his hagiography
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...
he wanted to visit the friend of his youth, St. Vigilius, Bishop of Trento, (who died in 405), but his horse was torn to pieces by a wild bear. Romedius, however, had the bear bridled by his disciple David (Davide). The bear became docile and carried Romedius on its back to Trento
Trento
Trento is an Italian city located in the Adige River valley in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It is the capital of Trentino...
. The tamed bear is a motif also of Saint Corbinian
Corbinian
Saint Corbinian was a Frankish bishop. His feast day is September 8. The commemoration of the translation of his relics is November 20.-Life:...
, bishop of Freising.
Veneration
Upon Romedius' death, his body was laid to rest in a small tomb above his cave in the mountains, a site that was soon visited by pilgrims. The Sanctuary of San Romedio grew from the little church that was built to venerate him to the popular pilgrimage shrine, the Santuario di San Romedio is across the lake from ClesCles
left|thumb|200px|[[Saint Roch]] ChurchCles is a town and comune in Trentino, in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of northern Italy.-The Tabula clesiana:...
at the head of the Val di Non, above the village of Sanzeno
Sanzeno
Sanzeno is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 35 km north of Trento...
. The sanctuary where Romedio lived with his bear companion is a complex of several churches, from the Romanesque period to the 19th century beyond a gateway in the forested slopes. Votive offerings of crutches line the walls of the narrow stone stairwell up to the highest chapel, said to be the saint's retreat.
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
. His cult remains popular in Trentino, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, and the Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
.
Romedius' Bear
In remembrance of this legend, in 1958 Italian Senator G. G. Gallarati Scotti, honorary member of the committee for the foundation of the World Wildlife Fund in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, purchased Charlie, a bear intended to be killed, and donated it to the Sanctuary of San Romedio, in the Valle di Non.
Today, the Province of Trentino protects the last brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
s of the Alps in the Adamello-Brenta National Park, and, near the Sanctuary, takes care of young bears born in captivity in Trentino http://www.dolomiti.it/ita/speciali/spirito/leggende.htm.
In the work known as Illustrissimi
Illustrissimi
Illustrissimi or To the Illustrious Ones, are a collection of letters written by Pope John Paul I when he was Patriarch of Venice. The letters were originally published in the Italian Christian paper 'Messaggero di S. Antonio' between 1972 and 1975, and published in book form in 1976...
, a collection of letters written by Pope John Paul I
Pope John Paul I
John Paul I , born Albino Luciani, , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal history, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes...
when he was Patriarch of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Romedius' bear is one of the "recipients" of the letters.