Saint Marcian (Marciano, Marziano, Marcianus) of Tortona (died 117 or 120 AD) is a saint of Roman Catholic church. He is traditionally said to have been the first
bishop of Tortona
The Diocese of Tortona ( la, Dioecesis Derthonensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Northern Italy, spanning parts of three regions of Piedmont (Province of Alessandria), Lombardy (Province of Pav ...
, in what is now north-western
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, a post he held for forty-five years.
Legend
Tradition states that he was born to a pagan family but was converted by
Saint Barnabas
Barnabas (; arc, ܒܪܢܒܐ; grc, Βαρνάβας), born Joseph () or Joses (), was according to tradition an early Christian, one of the prominent Christian disciples in Jerusalem. According to Acts 4:36, Barnabas was a Cypriot Jew. Nam ...
and then confirmed in the Christian faith by Saint Sirus (Siro),
bishop of Pavia
The Diocese of Pavia ( la, Dioecesis Papiensis) is a see of the Catholic Church in Italy. It has been a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Milan only since 1817.Saint Secundus of Asti is said to have met Marcian at Tortona, when the former was still a pagan. Secundus' meeting with Marcian influenced his decision to become a Christia He is said to have been crucifixion, crucified for his Christianity.
There is some disagreement about the year of his death. Some sources say it occurred in 117, under
Trajan
Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...
Some people have argued that he is the same person as Marcian of Ravenna. Documents from the eighth century attest to his episcopate.
Walafrid Strabo
Walafrid, alternatively spelt Walahfrid, nicknamed Strabo (or Strabus, i.e. " squint-eyed") (c. 80818 August 849), was an Alemannic Benedictine monk and theological writer who lived on Reichenau Island in southern Germany.
Life
Walafrid Strabo ...
, in response to the construction of a church in honor of the saint, indicates that Marcian was the first bishop of the Tortonese community and a marty His
relics
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...
, found on the left bank of the
Scrivia
The Scrivia, long, is a right tributary of the river Po, in northern Italy. It runs through Liguria, Piedmont, and Lombardy.
Main tributaries
* left hand:
** torrente Laccio;
** torrente Busalletta;
** torrente Traversa;
** rio San Rocco;
* ...
in the fourth century by Saint Innocent (Innocenzo), bishop of Brescia, can now be found in the cathedral of Tortona. A finger bone associated with the saint has been kept at Genola, of which he is also patro
Veneration
He is the
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...