Blessed Peter Pettinaio
Blessed Peter Pettinaio (Italian: Pietro or Pier Pettinaio; born c. 1189 AD at Campi, near Siena, Tuscany, Italy; died December 4, 1289 AD in Siena) was an Italian comb-maker and member of the Third Order of Saint Francis renowned for his honesty in trade, his life of prayer and silence, and his charity to the poor and the sick. So great was his reputation for holiness that he was honoured as a saint by the people of Siena during his own lifetime, and the poet Dante Alighieri recalled the power of his prayers in the Purgatorio. His feast day is December 4.
A dealer in combs — from which trade came his byname Pettinaio ("the comb-seller") — Peter was celebrated for his scrupulous fairness in business, refusing to sell defective goods and giving generously to those in need.[1] A Franciscan tertiary, he devoted his long life to penance, contemplation, and the service of others in the city of Siena.
He died in 1289 at a great age and was buried in the Franciscan church of Siena, where his tomb quickly became a place of pilgrimage and reported miracles. His veneration was formally confirmed by Pope Pius VII on August 18, 1802.[1]
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Peter Pettinaio
| Blessed Peter Pettinaio | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | December 04 |
| Profession | Comb-maker; merchant |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Third Order of Saint Francis (Franciscan tertiary) |
| Patronage | Comb-makers; the people of Siena |
| Attributes | Combs; Franciscan tertiary habit |
| Birthplace | Campi, Castelnuovo Berardenga, near Siena, Tuscany, Italy |
| Death Place | Siena, Tuscany, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes at an advanced age (traditionally said to be about one hundred years old); died December 4, 1289, in Siena |
| Primary Shrine | Basilica of San Francesco, Siena, Italy |
| Liturgical Class | Not included in the General Roman Calendar; observed by the Franciscan Third Order and in the Archdiocese of Siena |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Birth and early life
Peter Pettinaio was born about the year 1189 at Campi, a village in the district of Castelnuovo Berardenga, near Siena in Tuscany, Italy.[1] Little is recorded of his childhood; he took up the trade of a maker and seller of combs, from which he received the surname Pettinaio.
Life as a comb-maker and tertiary
Peter carried on his trade in Siena, where he became known for a scrupulous honesty rare among merchants: it is said that he would not sell combs of poor quality, discarding those that were defective rather than deceive a customer, and that he gave the surplus of his earnings to the poor.[1] He joined the Third Order of Saint Francis, embracing a life of penance while remaining a layman in the world.
He was devoted to silence, prayer, and the Eucharist, and was known for his care of the poor and the sick of the city. The Sienese venerated him as a holy man even during his lifetime, and his counsel was widely sought.[1]
Dante and the fame of his prayers
The memory of Peter Pettinaio's sanctity endured in Sienese tradition and passed into literature. In the Purgatorio of Dante (Canto XIII), the penitent Sapia of Siena declares that her time in Purgatory had been shortened through the charitable prayers of "Pier Pettinaio," a testimony to the reputation his intercession enjoyed within a generation of his death.[2][1]
Death and burial
Peter Pettinaio died on December 4, 1289, in Siena, having reached a very advanced age; tradition holds that he was about one hundred years old.[1] He was buried in the Franciscan church of Siena, and his tomb soon drew pilgrims and became associated with miracles. A shrine was constructed over his grave in 1326, and in 1329 the city established an annual feast in his honour.[1]
Significant events
- Carried on the trade of comb-making in Siena, famed for his honesty and charity.
- Entered the Third Order of Saint Francis as a lay penitent.
- Was venerated as holy by the people of Siena during his lifetime.
- Commemorated by Dante in the Purgatorio (Canto XIII) for the efficacy of his prayers.
- His cult was confirmed by Pope Pius VII on August 18, 1802.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Campi, Castelnuovo Berardenga, near Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Death location: Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Notable location: City where he plied his trade as a comb-maker and lived his life of prayer and charity (Siena, Tuscany, Italy)
Notable location: Franciscan church where he was buried and where a shrine was built over his tomb in 1326 (Basilica of San Francesco, Siena, Italy)
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Canonization
Beatification (confirmation of cult)
The immemorial veneration paid to Peter Pettinaio in Siena and the surrounding cities was formally confirmed by Pope Pius VII on August 18, 1802 — an equipollent beatification.[1] He has not been formally canonized.
Feast day
December 04
Veneration
Blessed Peter Pettinaio is venerated especially by the Franciscan Third Order and in the Archdiocese of Siena, where his relics rest in the Basilica of San Francesco. He is honoured as a model of honesty in trade and of lay holiness, and in art he is identified by the combs of his craft.[1]
Prayers
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