Blessed Jacobus de Voragine
Blessed Jacobus de Voragine (born c. 1228 AD in Varazze, Liguria, Italy; died July 13, 1298 AD in Genoa, Liguria, Italy) was an Italian Catholic Dominican friar who served as Archbishop of Genoa and is best known as the author of the Legenda Aurea (Golden Legend), the most widely read hagiographic collection of the Middle Ages. A prolific preacher and church administrator who worked for peace in the fractious Italian cities, he was beatified by Pope Pius VII on May 11, 1816. His feast day is July 13.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Jacobus de Voragine
| Blessed Jacobus de Voragine | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | July 13 |
| Profession | Italian Catholic Dominican friar, Archbishop of Genoa, author of the Legenda Aurea (Golden Legend); born Varazze Liguria c. 1228; entered Dominican Order c. 1244; Provincial Prior of Lombardy; compiled Legenda Aurea c. 1260-1275; Archbishop of Genoa 1292-1298; died Genoa July 13 1298; beatified Pope Pius VII May 11 1816; feast July 13 |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Dominican Order (OP); 13th-century Italian Dominican tradition; Genoa; Liguria; Italy; medieval hagiographic tradition |
| Patronage | Genoa; Liguria; Varazze; Italy; hagiographers; authors; archbishops; Dominican preachers; peacemakers; medieval chroniclers; those who compile the lives of the saints |
| Attributes | Dominican white habit and black mantle; book (Legenda Aurea); archbishop's cross; July 13 feast; Genoa setting; Ligurian coast; pen and manuscript; golden legend imagery |
| Birthplace | Varazze, Liguria, Italy |
| Death Place | Genoa, Liguria, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died July 13, 1298, in Genoa, Liguria, Italy; Blessed Jacobus de Voragine (Italian: Beato Jacopo da Varazze; also Jacobus de Varagine; Giacomo da Varazze) was an Italian Catholic Dominican friar, Archbishop of Genoa, and author of the Legenda Aurea (Golden Legend); the most widely read hagiographic collection of the Middle Ages; beatified Pope Pius VII May 11 1816; feast July 13 |
| Primary Shrine | Genoa, Liguria, Italy; beatified Pope Pius VII May 11 1816; feast July 13 |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; July 13 feast locally in Genoa and Varazze and in the Dominican Order |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Jacobus de Voragine was born c. 1228 in Varazze on the Ligurian coast. He entered the Dominican Order c. 1244 and rose to become one of the most prolific preachers and teachers in the Dominican Province of Lombardy, serving multiple terms as Provincial Prior of Lombardy (1267-1286).
Between approximately 1260 and 1275 he compiled the Legenda Aurea (Golden Legend), a collection of saints' lives organized according to the liturgical year. Over 1,000 manuscripts of the work survive; it was among the first books printed in Europe and shaped medieval Catholic piety, art, and literature for centuries.
He was appointed Archbishop of Genoa by Pope Nicholas IV in 1292 and devoted himself to pastoral care and peace-making between the Guelph and Ghibelline factions. He also completed a Chronicon Genuense (Chronicle of Genoa) and left collections of sermons.
He died July 13, 1298, in Genoa. He was beatified by Pope Pius VII on May 11, 1816. His feast day is July 13.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Varazze, Liguria, Italy
Death location: Genoa, Liguria, Italy
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Jacobus de Voragine have been added to the database yet.
Media
No media found for this saint.
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
No results
No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Feast day
July 13
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.