Saint Zenobius () (337–417) who was the first bishop of
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
. Venerated in the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, his feast day is celebrated on May 25.
Life

Born of a Florentine noble family, Zenobius was educated by his
pagan parents. He came under the influence early of the bishop Theodore, was baptized by him, and succeeded, after much opposition, in bringing his father and mother to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
. He embraced the clerical state, and rapidly rose to the position of
archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denomina ...
, when his virtues and notable powers as a preacher made him known to
Saint Ambrose, at whose instance
Pope Damasus I (r. 366–386) called him to
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, and employed him in various important missions, including a legation to
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
. On the death of Damasus he returned to his native city, where he resumed his apostolic labours, and on the death of the bishop of that see, Zenobius, to the great joy of the people, was appointed to succeed him. His
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions.
Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...
s are venerated as Saint Eugene and Saint Crescentius. He evangelized Florence and its outskirts completely and combated
Arianism
Arianism (, ) is a Christology, Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius (). It is co ...
.
According to his biographer and successor in the See of Florence, Antonius, he died in his ninetieth year, in 424; but, as Antonius says that
Pope Innocent I (d. 417) was at the time
pope
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
, the date is uncertain.
There are grounds for believing that he actually died in 417, on 25 May, on which day the ancient
tower where he is supposed to have lived, near the
Ponte Vecchio
The Ponte Vecchio (; "Old Bridge") is a medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno, in Florence, Italy. The only bridge in Florence spared from destruction during World War II, it is noted for the shops built along it; ...
, was annually decorated with flowers.
Veneration
His body was first buried in the
Basilica di San Lorenzo di Firenze (consecrated by Saint Ambrose in 393), and in the 9th century was later translated by Bishop Andrea to the church of
Santa Reparata, over which the current
Florence Cathedral was built.
In the back of the middle of the three
apse
In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...
s of the cathedral is the altar of Saint Zenobius. Its bronze
shrine, designed around 1440, a masterpiece of
Ghiberti, contains the
urn with his
relics. The central relief shows us one of his miracles, the reviving of a dead child. Above this shrine is the painting ''
Last Supper'' by
Giovanni Balducci. There was also a glass-paste
mosaic
A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...
panel ''The Bust of Saint Zenobius'' by the 16th century miniaturist
Monte di Giovanni, but it is now on display in the
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.
The
Colonna di San Zanobi, located at Piazza San Giovanni near the Baptistery of San Giovanni, is another site of veneration for Saint Zenobius. According to tradition, during the 9th-century translation of Saint Zenobius's remains from the Basilica of San Lorenzo to the then-Cathedral of Santa Reparata, the bier carrying his body touched a dead elm tree near the Baptistery, causing it to miraculously burst into bloom despite it being winter. To commemorate this event, a column known as the "Colonna di San Zanobi" was erected at the site. The original column was swept away during the flood of 1333 and later rebuilt. The current column features a metal representation of a tree and serves as a testament to this miracle.
The Episcopal Ring of Saint Zenobius, considered a secondary relic, was in the possession of the Girolami family, who claimed descent from the saint. In 1482, the ring was sent to France in an effort to cure the ailing King Louis XI. However, there is no record of the ring's effectiveness, and King Louis XI died in 1483. The current whereabouts of the ring remain unknown.
Miracles

Extraordinary
miracles, including several instances of the restoration of the dead to life, are attributed to him. Zenobius is said to have
resurrected several dead people. It is also said that after his death, a dead
elm burst into life after his body touched it while being borne to the
cathedral
A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
for burial.
A legend states that a child was once run over by a
cart while playing. His mother, a widow, wailed as she brought the dead child to Zenobius'
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions.
Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...
. By means of a prayer, Saint Zenobius revived the child and restored him to his mother.
In art
Zenobius is often depicted with a dead child or man in his arms, or a flowering elm, both in reference to his miracles.
Sandro Botticelli depicted the life and work of Saint Zenobius
in four paintings. In the first scene, Zenobius is shown twice: he rejects the bride that his parents intended him to take in marriage and walks thoughtfully away. The other episodes show the
baptism
Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...
of the young Zenobius and his mother, and on the right his
ordination
Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...
as
bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
.
On the wall of the
Palazzo Vecchio are
fresco
Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
es by
Domenico Ghirlandaio, painted in 1482. The
apotheosis of Saint Zenobius was painted with a perspectival illusion of the background.
Zenobius.jpg, Domenico Veneziano, ''Saint Zenobius Performs a Miracle'', 1445.
Firenze.Palvecchio.HallLilies.JPG, Wall fresco of Saint Zenobius in the Hall of Lilies (Sala dei Gigli), Palazzo Vecchio, Florence.
Fra Angelico 041.jpg, The Madonna with Saint Dominic (right) and Saint Zenobius (left), by Fra Angelico
Giovanni del Biondo - Saint Zenobia - Firenze.Duomo.painting04.jpg, Saint Zenobius seated with his deacons St. Crescentius and St. Eugenius kneeling at either side. Painting on a pillar in the Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence.
Saint Zenobius Florence.jpg, Saint Zenobius, façade of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
Notes
References
* Ferguson, George (1961). ''Signs and Symbols in Christian Art'' (New York: Oxford University Press), 147.
*
External links
Saints of May 25: Zenobius of Florence*
Santi e beati: San ZanobiZenobius Xavierus of Poland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zenobius Of Florence
337 births
417 deaths
5th-century bishops
5th-century Christian saints
Ancient Roman saints
Bishops of Florence
Saints from Roman Italy
Christian miracle workers