Saint Fortunatus (died 537) was a 6th-century bishop of Todi. According to tradition, he defended

Todi Todi (; ''Tuder'' in antiquity) is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) of the province of Perugia (region of Umbria) in central Italy. It is perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river Tiber, commanding distant view ...

during a Gothic siege. 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 ...

of Todi.

Life

Fortunatus came to Italy from

Poitiers Poitiers is a city on the river Clain in west-central France. It is a commune in France, commune, the capital of the Vienne (department), Vienne department and the historical center of Poitou, Poitou Province. In 2021, it had a population of 9 ...

as a hermit. Because of his miracles and ability to cast out demons, in 528, he was urged by the clergy and the people to become bishop. His predecessor, Callistus (c. 502-28), had been killed by the Goths. The first cathedral was the church of Sant'Ilario. Fortunatus saved the city from being sacked by the Ostrogoths. He converted many and destroyed a temple to the god Pan, and used the materials to build a church. Fortunatus consecrated the church. of San Fortunato, where his bones are preserved. A Benedictine monastery was attached to it in the 11th century. The altars to Fortunatus and Cassianus of Imola were consecrated by Pope Innocent III in 1198. He is praised by

Gregory the Great Pope Gregory I (; ; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great (; ), was the 64th Bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 until his death on 12 March 604. He is known for instituting the first recorded large-scale mission from Rom ...

, who calls him a man of great virtue who took great care in attending to the sick. Gregory, born around the time Fortunatus died, was greatly interested in Fortunatus' life. Gregory writes, "A certain poor old man was brought to me –because I always love to talk with such men- of whom I inquired his country, and hearing that he was of the city of Todi, I asked him whether he knew Bishop Fortunatus. He said he knew him very well. 'Then I beseech you,' said I, 'tell me whether you know of any miracles that he did, and, since I am very desirous to know, explained to me what manner of man he was.'"

Veneration

The church of ''San Fortunato'' in Todi is dedicated to him and holds his relics. San Fortunato began as a Palaeo-Christian temple (7th century), and in 1292, the Franciscans began a new Gothic edifice with a "hall" structure. The crypt houses a sepulcher containing the remains of Fortunatus and other saints, as well as the tomb of

Jacopone da Todi Jacopone da Todi ( – 25 December 1306) was an Italian people, Italian Franciscan friar from Umbria. He wrote several :it:Laude (Jacopone da Todi), ''laude'' (songs in praise of the God, Lord) in the local vernacular. He was an early pionee ...

. Image:Todi 3.JPG, Church of San Fortunato Image:Todi 2.JPG, Church of San Fortunato

References

{{Authority control Bishops in Umbria 6th-century Italian bishops 6th-century Christian saints 537 deaths Medieval Italian saints Year of birth unknown