Elpidius of Atella, or Elpidio in Italian (died 452), is a
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 ...
saint. He was a bishop of the city of
Atella
Atella was an ancient Oscan city of Campania, located 20km directly north of Naples.
Remains
The ruins of the city walls, private houses, the so-called ''garden of Virgil'' and many tombs remain, on sites in the ''comuni'' of Frattaminore, ...
, from 432 for about 20 years.
Life
Elpidius was born in 388 to a noble family. He had a brother named Canius and a nephew named Elpidius, both priests. In about 420, at the age of 30, he was consecrated bishop. Later, due to the vandalic persecution of
Gaiseric
Gaiseric ( – 25 January 477), also known as Geiseric or Genseric (; reconstructed Vandalic: ) was king of the Vandals and Alans from 428 to 477. He ruled over a kingdom and played a key role in the decline of the Western Roman Empire during ...
, twelve bishops, including Elpidius, were sentenced to death. They were embarked on a ship without oars or sails, but the boat was wrecked near the coast of
Castel Volturno
Castel Volturno () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about northwest of Naples and about west of Caserta on the Volturno river. The town has a population of almost 30,000 residents, ...
, in Campania.
In 432 he became bishop of Atella. Elpidius, informed of the death of bishop
Canius, erected a small temple on the site to guard his venerated remains, and placed this couplet in front of the basilica: ''Elpidius praesul hoc templum condidit almum, o Canio martyr, ductus amore tuo.'' On May 24, 452, he died.
Veneration
On 11 January 460, his body was buried in the Cathedral of Atella, where it remained until 787, when, following the incursions of the
Longobards
The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774.
The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the '' History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and 796) t ...
, it was moved to the city of
Salerno
Salerno (, ; ; ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Campania, southwestern Italy, and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after Naples. It is located ...
, where it still rests in the crypt of the
Cathedral of St. Matthew.
In 1958, archbishop Demetrio Moscato wanted to carry out a canonical exhumation and reconnaissance of the mortal remains of the saints buried in the crypt of the
Salerno cathedral
Salerno Cathedral (or duomo) is the main church in the city of Salerno in southern Italy and a major tourist attraction. It is dedicated to Saint Matthew, whose relics are inside the crypt.
The Cathedral was built when the city was the capital ...
, properly under the "Altar of the Holy Confessors". Among the other relics were also found those of the three saints: Elpidius Bishop of Atella, Cionius presbyter and Elpicius deacon, placed there by archbishop Alfano I in March 1081, as is clearly stated in a marble inscription.
[Amalia Galdi, ''Santi, territori, poteri e uomini nella Campania medievale (secc. XI-XII),'' Laveglia, 2004]
References
Sources
Life of Sant'Elpidio{{in lang, it
Saints from Roman Italy
4th-century Christian saints
4th-century deaths
388 births