Saint Zenobius
Saint Zenobius of Florence (born c. 337 AD in Florence, Roman Tuscany; died May 25, 417 AD in Florence, Italy) was the first Bishop of Florence, a friend of Saint Ambrose of Milan and Pope Innocent I, and one of the most venerated saints of Florence. He is patron of the city of Florence. His feast day is May 25.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Zenobius
| Saint Zenobius | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | May 25 |
| Profession | First Bishop of Florence; ambassador to Constantinople; friend of Saint Ambrose; confessor; patron of Florence |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Diocese of Florence; 4th–5th-century Italian Catholicism; defender of Nicene orthodoxy; friend of Saint Ambrose; Florentine civic patron |
| Patronage | Florence; the Archdiocese of Florence; the city's craftsmen; Florentine civic identity |
| Attributes | Bishop's vestments; a dead elm tree bursting into leaf (the funeral miracle); the Column of Saint Zenobius on the Piazza del Duomo; the Ghiberti reliquary; Brunelleschi's dome in the background |
| Birthplace | Florence, Tuscany, Italy |
| Death Place | Florence, Tuscany, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died May 25, 417 AD, in Florence; he was approximately 80 years old; he had been Bishop of Florence for many years; he died on the feast of the Ascension (that year); his body was transported through the city streets on its way to burial; according to tradition, when the funeral bier passed by a dried elm tree on the Piazza del Duomo, the tree immediately burst into leaf — the origin of the Column of Saint Zenobius on the Piazza del Duomo in Florence; his body was buried in the Cathedral of Santa Reparata (predecessor to the present Florence Cathedral) |
| Primary Shrine | Florence Cathedral (Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore) — his relics in the Ghiberti reliquary (golden masterpiece); May 25 feast; Column of San Zanobi on the Piazza del Duomo; one of Florence's most important sacred sites |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); May 25; Feast in Florence and Tuscany |
| Historic Class | Double (May 25) in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Zenobius was born c. 337 AD in Florence, Tuscany, of a noble pagan family. He converted to Christianity under the influence of a priest named Eusebius. He was ordained a deacon and then a priest. He was consecrated the first Bishop of Florence.
He was sent to Constantinople as a papal legate on behalf of the Roman see in disputes with the Eastern church. He was a close friend and correspondent of Saint Ambrose of Milan and maintained correspondence with Pope Innocent I.
He died May 25, 417 AD, in Florence. According to tradition, as his funeral bier was carried through Florence, it touched a dead elm tree that immediately burst into leaf. A granite column — the Colonna di San Zanobi — marks the spot on the Piazza del Duomo in front of the Florence Cathedral Baptistery.
His relics are in the crypt of Florence Cathedral. Lorenzo Ghiberti made a celebrated golden reliquary for them c. 1442 — one of the masterworks of Florentine Renaissance goldsmithery.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Death location: Florence, Tuscany, Italy
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Florence Cathedral crypt — his relics in the Ghiberti reliquary.
- Column of Saint Zenobius (Colonna di San Zanobi), Piazza del Duomo, Florence — marks the miracle of the elm tree.
Feast day
May 25
Veneration
Saint Zenobius was the first Bishop of Florence, patron of the city, and friend of Saint Ambrose. The miracle of the dead elm tree bursting into leaf at his funeral is commemorated by a column on the Piazza del Duomo in Florence. His golden reliquary by Ghiberti is a Renaissance masterwork. Feast May 25.
Prayers
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