Torpes of Pisa
Encyclopedia
Saint Torpes of Pisa (d. 65 AD) is venerated as an early Christian
martyr
. He is the namesake of Saint-Tropez
. His legend states that he was martyred during the persecutions of Nero
.
Most of the accounts about him are considered unreliable.
Nothing else is known about his life. He is first mentioned in sources dating from the 9th century.
or knight
who was an attendant to the Emperor Nero, or head of the emperor's personal bodyguard. His full name was Caïus Silvius Torpetius and he was a native of Pisa
.
Torpes became a Christian after being converted by Saint Paul
. Torpes professed his faith during a ceremony in which Nero declared Diana
to be the creator of the universe. After Torpes declared himself to be a Christian, Nero did not want to kill Torpes immediately and instead asked his attendant to renounce his faith. When Torpes refused to do so, Nero had him decapitated
. Another variation of the legend states that Torpes left Rome and went to Pisa, but was recognized as a Christian by the local prefect, Satellicus, who had him executed.
Torpes’ head was tossed into the Arno
(and was later claimed by Pisa). His body was placed in a rotten boat with a rooster
and a dog
, who had been placed there in order to nourish themselves on the saint's body. The boat floated towards Liguria
.
A holy woman named Celerina (Célèrine) had a premonition in a dream of the arrival of the saint's body, and indeed the boat reached the present-day location of Saint-Tropez, where Celerina lived. The boat landed not far from the present-day sailors' cemetery
. The body was untouched by both the rooster and the dog. The cock flew away towards the village later named Cogolin
after it; the dog headed towards the village later named in its honor Grimaud
.
The local people named their village in honor of him. The theme of the relics being transported across the sea in a small boat is a tale found in the legends of other saints of the region, such as Saint Reparata
and Saint Devota. Places on the coasts of Spain and Portugal also declared themselves to be the locations where Torpes' boat had landed.
Torpes was venerated in Pisa
, Genoa
, and Portugal
. He became the patron saint
of sailors.
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The earliest church in Pisa dedicated to him dates from the eleventh century. The civil code
of the Republic of Pisa
of 1284 established April 29 as the feast day of the saint. The Pisans credit Torpes with ending a terrible plague that afflicted the city in 1633.
In Genoa, where the cult of Torpes was imported by Pisan merchants,
the church of San Torpete
is dedicated to the saint.
In Saint-Tropez, his bust
is honored during Les Bravades des Espagnols, a religious and military celebration commemorating the victory of the Tropezian militia
over the Spanish
in 1637.
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
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
. He is the namesake of Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez is a town, 104 km to the east of Marseille, in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. It is also the principal town in the canton of Saint-Tropez....
. His legend states that he was martyred during the persecutions of Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
.
Most of the accounts about him are considered unreliable.
Nothing else is known about his life. He is first mentioned in sources dating from the 9th century.
Legend
Elaborations of his legend state that he was a gladiatorGladiator
A gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...
or knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
who was an attendant to the Emperor Nero, or head of the emperor's personal bodyguard. His full name was Caïus Silvius Torpetius and he was a native of Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
.
Torpes became a Christian after being converted by Saint Paul
Paul 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...
. Torpes professed his faith during a ceremony in which Nero declared Diana
Diana (mythology)
In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy...
to be the creator of the universe. After Torpes declared himself to be a Christian, Nero did not want to kill Torpes immediately and instead asked his attendant to renounce his faith. When Torpes refused to do so, Nero had him decapitated
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...
. Another variation of the legend states that Torpes left Rome and went to Pisa, but was recognized as a Christian by the local prefect, Satellicus, who had him executed.
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 was later claimed by Pisa). His body was placed in a rotten boat with a rooster
Rooster
A rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...
and a dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
, who had been placed there in order to nourish themselves on the saint's body. The boat floated towards Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
.
A holy woman named Celerina (Célèrine) had a premonition in a dream of the arrival of the saint's body, and indeed the boat reached the present-day location of Saint-Tropez, where Celerina lived. The boat landed not far from the present-day sailors' cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
. The body was untouched by both the rooster and the dog. The cock flew away towards the village later named Cogolin
Cogolin
Cogolin is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France....
after it; the dog headed towards the village later named in its honor Grimaud
Grimaud, Var
Grimaud is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It is located on the French Riviera. The village of Grimaud is a perched village, with historical links to the Grimaldi family. Gibelin de Grimaldi aided William the Good drive the Saracens of...
.
The local people named their village in honor of him. The theme of the relics being transported across the sea in a small boat is a tale found in the legends of other saints of the region, such as Saint Reparata
Saint Reparata
Saint Reparata was a third century Christian virgin and martyr, possibly mythical, of Caesarea in Palestine. Sources vary as to her age - from 11 to 20-years old - though the Sainte-Réparte cathedral in Nice gives it as 15 . She was arrested for her faith and tortured during the persecution of...
and Saint Devota. Places on the coasts of Spain and Portugal also declared themselves to be the locations where Torpes' boat had landed.
Torpes was venerated in Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
, Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. He became the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of sailors.
Veneration
Civil code
A civil code is a systematic collection of laws designed to comprehensively deal with the core areas of private law. A jurisdiction that has a civil code generally also has a code of civil procedure...
of the Republic of Pisa
Republic of Pisa
The Republic of Pisa was a de facto independent state centered on the Tuscan city of Pisa during the late tenth and eleventh centuries. It rose to become an economic powerhouse, a commercial center whose merchants dominated Mediterranean and Italian trade for a century before being surpassed and...
of 1284 established April 29 as the feast day of the saint. The Pisans credit Torpes with ending a terrible plague that afflicted the city in 1633.
In Genoa, where the cult of Torpes was imported by Pisan merchants,
the church of San Torpete
San Torpete
San Torpete is a church in central Genoa, northern Italy, dedicated to Saint Torpes. It was founded in the 11th century by local merchants. It was rebuilt in the 18th century under designs conceived by Giovanni Antonio Ricca....
is dedicated to the saint.
In Saint-Tropez, his bust
Bust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
is honored during Les Bravades des Espagnols, a religious and military celebration commemorating the victory of the Tropezian militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
over the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1637.