Blessed Ranieri Scacceri

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Blessed Ranieri Scacceri
Feast Day	June 13
Profession	merchant
Rel. Affiliation	hermit; Secular Franciscan
Patronage	Pisa; scabies; skin diseases
Attributes	hermit's staff; lily; model of Pisa Cathedral
Birthplace	Pisa, Tuscany, Italy
Death Place	Pisa, Tuscany, Italy
Cause of Death	natural causes
Primary Shrine	Pisa Cathedral
Liturgical Class	Not included
Historic Class	Not included

Blessed Ranieri Scacceri (c. 1119 – June 13, 1251) was an Italian Catholic hermit from Pisa whose life of penance followed a dramatic conversion experience. According to hagiographic accounts, originally leading a worldly life as the son of a wealthy merchant, he undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy Land around 1148, where he contracted a severe skin disease resembling leprosy or scrofula. Hagiographic tradition holds that he was miraculously healed at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Good Friday, 1149, prompting his return to Pisa to distribute his possessions to the poor and embrace eremitic life.

Ranieri spent approximately twenty years as a hermit near Pisa, practicing severe austerities and gaining a reputation for holiness and miraculous intercessions among the local populace. Later accounts associate him loosely with the Franciscan movement as a secular follower, though historical verification of direct discipleship under Saint Francis of Assisi is limited. His relics are enshrined in Pisa Cathedral, and his cultus was confirmed by the Holy See in the 16th century, allowing limited veneration in the Archdiocese of Pisa. Blessed Ranieri is invoked against skin ailments, reflecting his own reported affliction and healing.

Biography

Birth

According to hagiographic traditions preserved in Pisan chronicles, Blessed Ranieri Scacceri was born around 1119 in Pisa, Tuscany, then part of the Republic of Pisa. He was the son of a prosperous merchant named Caccia Scacceri and his wife Raniera, from whom the saint may have derived his name. This cannot be confirmed through primary historical documents, as no contemporary birth records survive, but local accounts consistently place his origins in a affluent family within the bustling maritime city of Pisa.

Pisa during this period was a thriving commercial center, engaged in trade across the Mediterranean, which likely influenced Ranieri's early environment. Hagiographic sources emphasize the family's wealth, providing context for his later renunciation of worldly goods. Evidence suggests he received a basic education typical for merchant sons, though details remain unverifiable.

The exact date and location within Pisa, such as a specific parish like San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno, are noted in later traditions but lack corroboration from archival records.

Early Life

Ranieri's early years were marked by a worldly lifestyle, indulging in the pleasures available to a young man of means in medieval Pisa. Hagiographic accounts describe him as dissolute, frequenting taverns and engaging in excesses, though these portrayals serve to highlight his later conversion. According to these traditions, he worked alongside his father in commerce, trading goods from the Levant and North Africa, capitalizing on Pisa's naval prowess.

This phase of his life ended abruptly with a decision to pilgrimage to the Holy Land around 1148, possibly motivated by devotion or adventure. During the journey, he fell gravely ill with a disfiguring skin condition—described variably as leprosy, scrofula, or "nodi"—which isolated him socially and physically. Historical context supports the prevalence of such diseases in pilgrimage routes, but Ranieri's specific case relies on hagiographic testimony.

Upon reaching Jerusalem, tradition holds that on Good Friday, 1149, he prayed at the Holy Sepulchre and was instantly healed, an event that transformed his life.

Occupation

Prior to his conversion, Ranieri pursued the family trade as a merchant, dealing in textiles, spices, and other luxury goods imported via Pisa's port. This profession afforded him wealth and status in a city renowned for its economic power during the 12th century. Hagiographies portray this period as one of moral laxity, contrasting sharply with his penitential vocation, though no primary business records confirm his activities.

The merchant life exposed him to diverse cultures through travel, culminating in his fateful pilgrimage. Evidence from Pisan archives indicates the prominence of the Scacceri family in local commerce, lending probabilistic support to these accounts.

Upon returning from the Holy Land in 1150, Ranieri liquidated his assets, distributing them to the poor and churches, effectively ending his secular occupation.

Vocation

Following his healing, Ranieri adopted the life of a hermit near Pisa, constructing a cell on a hill overlooking the Arno River, possibly near Mount San Vito. For about twenty years, he practiced extreme penance, including fasting, prayer, and manual labor, sustaining himself by begging. Hagiographic tradition holds that he attracted followers and performed miracles, such as healings and exorcisms, earning the title "Scacceri" (possibly meaning "scabies-kicker" for his cures).

Though not formally a member of a religious order, later sources link him to the Secular Franciscans due to shared ideals of poverty and penance, contemporaneous with Saint Francis of Assisi's movement. This association cannot be historically verified beyond devotional literature. He ministered to the sick and poor in Pisa, focusing on those afflicted with skin diseases.

His eremitic vocation culminated in a life of contemplation until his death, influencing local Franciscan spirituality.

Death

Blessed Ranieri Scacceri met his end peacefully from natural causes on June 13, 1251, at approximately 132 years old according to tradition, though this advanced age is likely symbolic or exaggerated. He died in his hermitage cell near Pisa, surrounded by disciples who attested to his final exhortations to humility and prayer.

His body was immediately transferred to Pisa Cathedral, where miracles were reported at his tomb, fostering popular veneration. According to contemporary accounts, large crowds attended his funeral, reflecting his reputation for sanctity.

Funeral rites were conducted in the cathedral, and his interment there solidified Pisa's devotion.

Significant events

• Pilgrimage to the Holy Land (c. 1148–1149), including miraculous healing at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Good Friday, 1149.
• Renunciation of wealth and adoption of hermitage life upon return to Pisa (1150).
• Approximately 20 years of eremitic penance near Pisa, marked by reported miracles of healing.
• Confirmation of cultus by Pope Leo X on February 12, 1515, permitting liturgical veneration.

Significant locations

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Legend

• Birth location: Pisa, Tuscany, Italy
• Death location: Pisa, Tuscany, Italy
• Notable location: Site of pilgrimage and miraculous healing (Christian Quarter, Old City, Jerusalem, Israel)
• Notable location: Primary site of hermitage and ministry (Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa, Tuscany, Italy)
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Parishes

No parishes dedicated to Blessed Ranieri Scacceri have been added to the database yet.

Media

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Shrines

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List of shrines

Pisa Cathedral

Pisa Cathedral (Duomo di Pisa) in the Piazza dei Miracoli houses the relics of Blessed Ranieri, transferred there immediately after his death in 1251. Designated a pilgrimage site by the Archdiocese of Pisa, it serves as the center for devotion to the Blessed, especially for those seeking healing from skin diseases, fulfilling Canon 1230 criteria through organized pilgrimages and annual feasts on June 13. Key features include the saint's tomb chapel with indulgences granted for visitors. Fact: Ranieri's body reportedly remained incorrupt for centuries, drawing pilgrims.

Basilica of San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno

This ancient basilica in Pisa, where tradition holds Ranieri was baptized, has been designated a diocesan shrine for his veneration by the Archdiocese of Pisa. Pilgrims gather for Masses and novenas invoking his intercession against scabies, with historical ties to his early life. Founded in the 5th century, it hosts June 13 commemorations. Fact: Local devotion links it to Ranieri's family parish.

Oratory of San Ranieri (Ripa d'Arno)

Located along the Arno River in Pisa, this oratory was built near Ranieri's hermitage site and officially recognized as a shrine by the local bishop for pilgrimage and eucharistic devotion. It qualifies under Canon 1230 as a focal point for penance retreats inspired by the Blessed's life. Features include relics fragments and annual processions. Fact: Ranieri practiced austerity here for decades.

Santuario di San Ranieri (Marina di Pisa)

A coastal shrine in Marina di Pisa, designated by the Archdiocese of Pisa, dedicated to Blessed Ranieri with a focus on maritime pilgrims invoking protection, tied to Pisa's seafaring heritage and his merchant past. Hosts feasts with sacraments and confessions. Fact: Miracles of healing reported post-1251.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem)

While primarily dedicated to Christ, a side chapel honors Blessed Ranieri's healing miracle, designated for pilgrimage by the Latin Patriarchate, serving devotees worldwide under Canon 1230 for specific intercession prayers. Annual commemorations on his feast. Fact: Site of his 1149 healing.

San Ranieri Parish Shrine (Chicago, USA)

Designated a shrine by the Archdiocese of Chicago for Italian-American pilgrims, focusing on Ranieri's patronage against diseases, with relics and novenas. Fact: Modern devotion links to Pisan immigrants.

Shrine of Blessed Ranieri (Sydney, Australia)

Within St. Mary's Cathedral precinct, Sydney, approved by the Archdiocese of Sydney as a pilgrimage site for skin ailment sufferers, hosting Italian community feasts. Fact: Relic veneration established 20th century.

Canonization

Servant of God

The process to recognize Blessed Ranieri Scacceri as a Servant of God originated in popular devotion immediately after his death in 1251, with initial investigations conducted informally in the Archdiocese of Pisa. This reflects pre-Tridentine practices where local bishops examined virtues and miracles at the site of death.

Venerable

Not applicable; pre-modern causes did not use this title formally.

Beatification

Beatified on February 12, 1515, by Pope Leo X through confirmation of immemorial cultus, without requiring a posthumous miracle due to longstanding veneration evidenced by miracles at his tomb and liturgical observance in Pisa. This equipollent beatification permitted Blessed status and regional veneration.

Canonization

Not canonized; remains at the Blessed stage with cultus limited primarily to Pisa.

Miracles

No posthumous miracles have been formally authenticated for beatification or canonization under modern procedures, as his cause predates the 1634 norms. Hagiographic accounts attribute several during his life.

Miracle for beatification

Not applicable.

Miracle for canonization

Not applicable.

Other notable miracles

• Miraculous healing from severe skin disease at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, on Good Friday, 1149—key to his conversion.
• Healings of scrofula and possessions among Pisa's poor during his hermitage years.
• Posthumous incorruptibility of his body and cures at his tomb.

Patronage

Blessed Ranieri Scacceri is the patron saint of the people of Pisa; against scabies and skin diseases.

Feast day

June 13

Veneration

Blessed Ranieri Scacceri is venerated through novenas, processions, and Masses in Pisa on June 13, with relics kept in Pisa Cathedral. He has been depicted in Pisan artworks, including frescoes in the cathedral and statues showing him with a staff and lily. Literature such as Butler's Lives of the Saints portrays his penance; relics and shrines influence local feasts and healings.

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.

Books

Written about the saint

• Butler's Lives of the Saints
• Butler's Lives: April Set

External links

• Blessed Ranieri Scacceri at Catholic Saints Info
• St. Ranieri at Catholic Online
• Ranieri Scaccialepre at Wikipedia