Genadio of Astorga or popularly San Genadio (c. 865, possibly

El Bierzo El Bierzo (; or ''El Bierzu''; ) is a '' comarca'' in the province of León, Spain. Its capital is the town of Ponferrada. Other major towns are Bembibre and Villafranca del Bierzo, the historical capital. The territory of El Bierzo inclu ...

, León - 936,

Peñalba de Santiago Peñalba () is a municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 742 inhabitants. See also * List of municipalities in Huesca This is a list of the munici ...

) was a Spanish Benedictine monk, hermit and

bishop of Astorga The Diocese of Astorga () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church whose seat is in the city of Astorga, in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain.El Bierzo El Bierzo (; or ''El Bierzu''; ) is a '' comarca'' in the province of León, Spain. Its capital is the town of Ponferrada. Other major towns are Bembibre and Villafranca del Bierzo, the historical capital. The territory of El Bierzo inclu ...

. He made the Caves of San Genadio and retired there with other

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

s in periods of

penance Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of contrition for sins committed, as well as an alternative name for the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. The word ''penance'' derive ...

. San Genadio played a crucial role in

Mozarabic art Mozarabic art is an early Middle Ages, medieval artistic style that is part of the Pre-Romanesque art and architecture, pre-Romanesque style and emerged in al-Andalus and in the kingdom of León. It's named after the Mozarabs (from ''musta'rab'' ...

, spearheading the restoration of San Pedro de Montes while establishing significant structures like

Santiago de Peñalba The church of Santiago de Peñalba is located in the town of Peñalba de Santiago, belonging to the municipality of Ponferrada, in the region of El Bierzo (Castile and León, Castilla y León, Spain). It is one of the most representative architectu ...

. His posthumous canonization as a saint was swift, with pilgrimages to the caves where he lived attracting devout Catholics seeking soil believed to cure diseases. Despite being celebrated on May 25th until 1969, liturgical reforms led to his removal from the saints' calendar due to lack of official canonization. Additionally, San Genadio is recognized as the first saint associated with

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

. The revered ivory chess pieces, known as Piezas or Bolos de San Genadio, originated from Peñalba de Santiago, serving as Europe's oldest chess figures and having belonged to the saint.

References

External links

*http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=2379755 9th-century Christian monks 10th-century bishops Benedictine monks Spanish bishops Spanish saints Bishops of Astorga 860s births Year of birth uncertain 936 deaths {{Spain-RC-bishop-stub