Saint Crispoldus (sometimes ''Cyspolitus'', ''Crispoltus'', ''Chrysopolitus'', ) is venerated as a 1st-century

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

. He is the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

Bettona Bettona (Latin: ''Vettona'') is an ancient town and comune of Italy, in the province of Perugia in central Umbria at the northern edge of the Colli Martani range. It is 5 km (3 mi) E of Torgiano and 12 km (7 mi) SW of Assisi. I ...

, in

Umbria Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Cascata delle Marmore, Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Italian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula. The re ...

, and said to have been the first bishop of that city, although the dioceses of Nocera and

Foligno Foligno (; Central Italian, Southern Umbrian: ''Fuligno'') is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennine Mountains, Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clit ...

also include his name in episcopal lists.Giuseppe Cappelletti, ''Le chiese d'Italia della loro origine sino ai nostri giorni'' (Venice, 1846), 398. According to a legendary ''Passio'' of the 12th century, Crispoldus was a native of

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

and one of the

Seventy Disciples The seventy disciples (Greek language, Greek: ἑβδομήκοντα μαθητές, ''hebdomikonta mathetes''), known in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian traditions as the seventy apostles (Greek language, Greek: ἑβδομήκον� ...

; in 58 AD Crispoldus was sent to Italy by

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

to preach

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 ...

there. Crispoldus traveled to

and performed

miracles A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...

at the town of Bettona. He was consecrated bishop of Bettona by St. Brictius (Brizio), who was bishop of

Massa Martana Massa Martana (near the well attested ancient site of the ''Vicus Martis Tudertium'' on the Via Flaminia) is an ancient Italian town and ''comune'' in the Monti Martani mountain range in the province of Perugia (Umbria). It is 10 km N o ...

. Britius is also named as a

bishop of Spoleto The Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy. Historically, it was the Diocese of Spoleto. Elevated to the status of an archdiocese since 1821, it is a metropolis ( ...

and of

. According to Giuseppe Cappelletti, Britius may have been a regional bishop, rather than a bishop of a particular diocese, which explains his association with multiple dioceses. Crispoldus began to preach Christianity in his diocese, but was arrested by soldiers of the Roman Emperor

Maximian Maximian (; ), nicknamed Herculius, was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar (title), Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus (title), Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his co-emperor and superior, Diocleti ...

(250–310). He was tried before the prefect Asterius and invited to sacrifice to the

Roman gods The Roman deities most widely known today are those the Romans identified with Greek counterparts, integrating Greek myths, iconography, and sometimes religious practices into Roman culture, including Latin literature, Roman art, and relig ...

. Crispoldus refused, and was killed after being tortured. At the same time, a man named Barontius (Baronzio) was

decapitated Decapitation is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and all vertebrate animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood by way of severing through the jugular vein and common ...

for being a Christian. Crispoldus’ sister Tutela, along with twelve other women, attempted to bury Crispoldus and Barontius, but were arrested in the attempt. They also refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods and were put to death. Their martyrdom is said to have occurred on May 12. Crispoldus' Germanic name makes his connection to the Apostles unlikely and probably legendary.

Veneration

A church was built on the site of Crispoldus’ martyrdom in what is now Passaggio di Bettona, a frazione of the Comune of Bettona. Crispoldus is mentioned in a document dating from 1018, found in the archives of

Assisi Cathedral Assisi Cathedral ( or ''Cattedrale di San Rufino di Assisi''), dedicated to San Rufino (Rufinus of Assisi), is a major church in Assisi, Italy. This stately church in Umbrian Romanesque architecture, Romanesque style was the third church built ...

. The church of San Crispolto was built in the 8th century when the remains of the saint were moved inside the walls of the historic center. There the silver and gilded reliquary bust of the saint resides in the transept to the left of the main altar. It was subsequently renovated in the 18th century with a brick facade by Antonio Stefanucci. Originally Benedictine the church was later given to the Franciscan Order. A new church, Santa Maria Maggiore, was built within the walls of Bettona in the 13th century, and was consecrated by Bishop Guido of Bettona in 1225. In 1266, the church became a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

foundation and then became a

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

church. The church was restored in 1266 and also in 1797. The most recent renovation was necessary after damage from the 1997 earthquake that damaged the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi.

References

{{authority control Saints from the Holy Land Bishops of Foligno Italian Roman Catholic saints 1st-century Christian martyrs Bettona